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On-loan Aston Villa starlet Brad Young told Carlisle United assistant manager Gavin Skelton that he was disappointed not to score more goals after netting in the EFL Trophy.

The Lowdown: Academy goal machine

The 18-year-old has made 43 appearances for the Villa under-18s and 11 for the under-23s, scoring 28 goals in the process, before being loaned out to League Two side Carlisle over the summer.

So far this season, the forward has appeared off the bench in five league outings and started in yesterday’s 2-0 defeat to league leaders Forest Green Rovers. He also started both of the EFL Trophy games against Hartlepool and Everton under-23s, scoring a brace against the latter last week.

With an eye-catching goalscoring record for the Villa academy at Bodymoor Heath, it will be no surprise when he starts contributing regularly to goals for Chris Beech’s side.

The Latest: Young wanted more goals

As per the News & Star, Young told Skelton that he should have scored more goals despite netting twice in 68 minutes.

The Carlisle assistant boss revealed: “That’s the first thing [he] said after the game – he was delighted, but should have scored more.

“He mentioned the header and the rebound in the first half. It shows the type of lad he is and how hungry he is to score.

“He’ll be pleased to get his first goals for the club under his belt – it was a good night’s work for him, and he’s greedy for more.

“As a forward you’re critical of yourself and you want those chances to go in, but he’s here to score goals and he’s done that for us.”

The Verdict: On the right path

As mentioned above, Young’s terrific scoring record for Villa’s youth squads puts him in good stead to impress. If he can manage to find the net in the Football League regularly, that should help him to possibly follow in the footsteps of fellow Bodymoor Heath starlets Carney Chukwuemeka and Jacob Ramsey.

As Skelton has said, the 18-year-old’s dissatisfaction with his goal return despite netting twice in midweek hints at a thoroughly professional and hungry mindset. Young certainly appears to be on the right path to making it at Villa with that sort of attitude.

In other news, a permanent move involving Aston Villa could be on the cards. Find out more here.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is facing a battle to keep central defender Filip Helander at Ibrox beyond the summer.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, sources have revealed the giant centre-back is attracting interest from a team south of the border ahead of the summer.

The report claims that former Gers manager Steven Gerrard wants to be reunited with the Swede to replace Tyrone Mings at Aston Villa next season. He is not convinced by the England international and is now monitoring Helander with a view to a swoop for him later this year.

Ross Wilson will be excited

Rangers’ sporting director will surely be rubbing his hands together with excitement at the prospect of being able to cash in on Helander.

His pre-existing relationship with Gerrard could allow him to negotiate a favourable financial package with Villa, whilst the deal, in general, would be a shock.

Despite the Liverpool legend’s connection with Rangers, it would be an incredibly surprising move given Helander’s issues this season. He has struggled for form and fitness and has not done enough to suggest that he would be an asset to a Premier League team, much less ahead of Mings.

In the Premiership this season, he has only played six times and averaged an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.75 – lower than any other senior Gers centre-back – and was subbed off at half-time in his last two starts in the division.

Rangers have only kept one clean sheet in his six outings and the overall standard of his performances has been below-par in comparison to the other players in his position. Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey have all averaged scores of 6.97 or higher, whilst outcast Jack Simpson previously averaged a score of 6.83.

His injuries are also a massive cause for concern. He missed 22 matches with a foot injury in the 2019/20 campaign and then suffered a blow to his knee at the start of 2021/22 that kept him out of 32 games.

The centre-back made his return earlier this year and was then hit with another setback as he damaged his foot earlier this month, which is predicted to keep him on the sidelines for at least 12 outings.

Meanwhile, Mings has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 and played 29 matches in the Premier League, after playing in 36 games last term and averaging a score of 6.95 for Villa. He has been more consistent than Helander in terms of his ability on the pitch and his reliability from a selection standpoint, which is why it would be baffling for Gerrard to make this transfer move.

Therefore, Wilson will be excited as he has the chance to seal a masterclass of a deal by selling the Swede to Villa as he would be offloading an underperforming, unreliable, dud.

AND in other news, Major blow: Rangers now hit with significant setback that’ll leave supporters gutted…

Many Aston Villa fans have been left slamming the display of Douglas Luiz despite their 2-1 win at home to Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Brazilian was particularly poor in the first half of the game, and although he improved in the second, some members of the Villa Park faithful still did not think that his overall performance was good enough.

Luiz lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to block any shots or make any key passes from midfield, while he lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 22 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any of his teammates on the pitch (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, with Morgan Sanson back fit and on the bench, he will most certainly have to perform better if he is to keep his place in the starting eleven under Steven Gerrard.

Villa fans on Luiz display

These AVFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with a couple even going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’:

“You could put a throw pillow on for Dougie and there’d be no drop in quality”

Credit: @VillaVirginian

“Dougie’s having a stinker”

Credit: @telekabba

“Can anyone tell me what position Luiz is playing??”

Credit: @ABCDEFC45833367

“Get Luiz off half time, passing has been woeful and offers nothing defensively.”

Credit: @villarichie

“Luiz off and Sanson on pls. Awful half from Luiz”

Credit: @AvfcSims

“Buendia, Luiz & Watkins have been awful this half”

Credit: @JBaker_24

In other news, find out what news involving this Villa ‘monster’ has fans buzzing here!

Many Everton fans have been buzzing over some transfer news which has emerged regarding Vitaliy Mykolenko.

As per the club’s official website, they have now confirmed the signing of the player from Dynamo Kiev for an ‘undisclosed fee’, and he has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal at the Merseyside club until the end of June 2026.

The Ukraine international becomes the Toffees’ first signing of the January transfer window after impressing with both club and country over recent years.

Mykolenko brings with him a lot of promise, having already won four trophies in his career at just 22 years of age, while he has registered three assists from left-back in the Ukrainian top flight and played in the Champions League this season (Transfermarkt).

Of course, this will only fuel the speculation surrounding the future of Lucas Digne, but a lot of Everton supporters are just excited for now that a new face is coming through the door.

Everton fans on Mykolenko transfer news

These Toffees fans buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that it is a ‘great’ start to the month:

“YESSS”

Credit: @EFCOliver7

“HE’S MAGIC YOU KNOW”

Credit: @WhitesideKp

“Yessssssss”

Credit: @Callum14655523

“Moooorning!”

Credit: @ToffeeMc1878

“Great to get business done early, welcome!”

Credit: @TacticallyEv

“New Year. New you Everton. I like it! Happy New Year.”

Credit: @EFCLynne

In other news, these training images have had many Evertonians gushing

Following the appointment of Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s replacement at Aston Villa, it was revealed that the owners at Villa Park would give financial backing to the 41-year-old during the January transfer window.

The first example of this could be seen in their recent loan deal for Barcelona and former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

Looking ahead to the rest of the window, the Midlands club have plenty of time left to complete any deals that they think will improve Gerrard’s squad and enable them to end their season on a high.

However, one potential target who the Villans should definitely avoid this month is Norwich City’s Todd Cantwell.

With Villa having been linked with a potential £40m move for the midfielder last summer, The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently claimed that the Canaries would be willing to sell the 23-year-old for a reduced fee of £15m or more.

Despite this substantial drop in price, the Midlanders should still avoid making a move to sign him this month.

From a Villa point of view, even before the arrival of Coutinho, they have a significant number of midfield and attacking players in their squad, including youngsters Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cameron Archer, who could end up being overlooked if Cantwell were to join.

In terms of what the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – could offer to Villa, he has not scored a goal or provided an assist in eight Premier League appearances so far this season. That suggests that the Englishman may not have the quality to get into the Villa team in the first place.

In addition to Cantwell’s lack of goal contributions in the league this season, his performances haven’t been much to shout about either. WhoScored give him an overall rating of 6.23/10, which would rank him among Villa’s lowest-rated players this season.

Having been accused of “getting above his station” by pundit Chris Sutton after walking down the tunnel at Carrow Road when he was substituted in Norwich’s game against Villa last month, the 23-year-old may not necessarily have the attitude that Gerrard would want in his squad either.

Overall, Villa must avoid a potential transfer howler and forget about securing a deal for Cantwell this month despite the apparent decrease in Norwich’s asking price.

In other news – Forget Coutinho: Lange can transform Gerrard’s Villa by signing “aggressive” £22.5m beast

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Stoke City are interested in signing Sam Vokes from Burnley before the transfer deadline, according to Sky Sports News.

The Potters have identified the striker as a potential acquisition but Sean Dyche will not let any player leave unless he can source a replacement.

What’s the word?

Stoke, per Sky Sports, could sell both Peter Crouch and Bojan Krkic before the transfer deadline and are keen to bolster their attacking options.

The club are currently 15th in the Championship, but believe Vokes has the ability to play in both the second-tier and the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Vokes has been a key member of Dyche’s side this season, making 28 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

However, he has scored just four goals in all competitions and his last strike for the club came in November 2018, in a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Per The Mirror, Burnley are interested in Birmingham City’s Che Adams, who could be a replacement for the Welshman.

Soar up the table

Stoke could soar up the table if they manage to sign Vokes.

The 29-year-old has played 113 games in the Premier League and has 198 appearances to his name in the Championship, according to Transfermarkt.

As per the same stats-based website, his goalscoring record is light-years better in the second-tier than the top-flight; he has scored 52 goals in the Championship, compared to 17 in the Premier League.

Stoke bringing him in, particularly to replace the enigmatic Bojan and the ageing Crouch, would do wonders for their hopes of working their way into the top 10 and potentially into the play-offs.

The Potters are currently eight points behind sixth-placed Derby County; Vokes could be just the man to score the goals needed to close that gap.

Despite only appearing in five out of Liverpool’s seven Premier League games so far this season, Trent Alexander-Arnold has still managed to earn himself an overall season rating of 7.81/10, making him their second-highest rated player in terms of performances in the Premier League according to WhoScored.

Taking this into account, it’s easy to see why the defender has now been linked with a move away from the club.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet Fichajes that La Liga giants Real Madrid are interested in signing Alexander-Arnold and taking him away from the Merseyside club.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, Alexander-Arnold made his senior debut for the club back in October 2016 during a Carabao Cup win over fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £67.5m according to Transfermarkt, has gone on to make a total of 185 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s team across all competitions.

During that time, he’s managed to score 10 goals and provide 47 assists in the process, which is very impressive for a full-back and suggests why Carlo Ancelotti’s side reportedly have their eyes on him.

Fans would be fuming

If Alexander-Arnold were to leave the club, this would surely make Liverpool less of an attacking force to be reckoned with. The Englishman made more key passes per game (2.1) in the Premier League last season than any other Reds player according to WhoScored.

Given how prominent the defender has been for Liverpool since making his senior debut for the club in terms of appearances as well as goals and assists, and the fact that he is a product of their youth system, it would be safe to assume that the Liverpool fans would be fairly angry if they sold him.

Alexander-Arnold recently signed a new long-term deal at the Merseyside club, saying that he was “honoured” to be offered it and that it was a “no-brainer” to sign on. That suggests to us that he isn’t likely to be leaving Liverpool anytime soon, or that he wants to be at another club anyway, which would be unfortunate for Madrid and their apparent hopes to lure him to Spain.

Moving forward, we expect Alexander-Arnold to keep playing regularly for the Reds and probably sign another contract nearer the time when his current one ends rather than be tempted to move elsewhere.

That said, if they did lose him for whatever reason, it would be a sizeable blow to Klopp and the Anfield supporters.

In other news: Liverpool could secure next Mane with move for £23.4m-rated “diamond in the rough” – opinion 

According to a report by The Times, a major midweek update has come to light on Tottenham Hotspur’s plans for loanee winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: ‘Decky’ shining at Spurs…

The Sweden international, who is nicknamed ‘Decky’, is currently enjoying life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on loan from Juventus, with Spurs manager Antonio Conte raving over his starlet to the press.

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Kulusevski joined the club in January alongside midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, with both players impressing as part of Conte’s new-look Spurs contingent.

The 21-year-old has racked up two goals and five assists over his 10 Premier League outings so far as he forms an effective understanding with Son Heung-min and Harry Kane as part of Tottenham’s front three.

As per The Times, his form has now prompted Spurs to make a major transfer call.

The Latest: The Times share big Kulusevski update…

According to their information, the Lilywhites are now ‘ready to move early’ to ‘snap up’ the player in an eight-figure £25 million permanent deal.

Indeed, Tottenham and their transfer chief Fabio Paratici apparently plan to trigger Kulusevski’s £25m clause this summer rather than waiting until his loan expires, when the option could cost around £33.5m.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Going by his performances so far, £25m could be a real bargain for Kulusevski’s signature permanently, with Serie A expert Nima Tavallaey Roodsari telling 101 Great Goals that the Swede would be a hit under Conte.

The Italian football journalist tipped the 21-year-old to become an ‘absolute monster’ working with Tottenham’s head coach, drawing emphasis Kulusevski being a ‘non-stop machine’ who ‘never steps running’ (101 Great Goals).

Going by the player’s WhoScored returns, Nima has been proven correct, with the winger already averaging a higher match rating than anyone in the Spurs squad bar Kane and Son.

Taking this into account, it’s crystal clear to see why Spurs are now ready to make his move a permanent one.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder, find out more here.

Tottenham and Manchester City have both launched enquiries for Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg, according to Calciomercato.com.

The Lowdown: Svanberg profiled

Svanberg is a 15-cap Sweden international who can play in a defensive, central or even attacking midfield role.

The 23-year-old has been with Bologna since 2018 and has made over 100 appearances for the club – 20 of which have come this season.

He holds a career-high Transfermarkt valuation of £13.5m so appears to be at absolute the peak of his powers, with reports previously suggesting that Svanberg is a top target for Antonio Conte.

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The Latest: Enquiry made

Calciomercato.com shared an update on Thursday morning, claiming both Spurs and City have made contact for Svanberg.

The report added that the midfielder’s agent, Martin Dahlin, is set to arrive in Italy for a meeting with Bologna to discuss a possible renewal or future sale.

A January exit was also mentioned, should the parties fail to reach an imminent agreement.

The Verdict: Shrewd addition?

Conte will know just what Svanberg could bring to Spurs following his time in Italy managing Inter Milan, and it seems he likes what he sees in the player after making him a top target.

Capable of playing in three different midfield roles, it could be a wise under-the-radar addition, with Svanberg not exactly a name known around the world.

Franck Kessie is another Serie A midfielder linked with Spurs, and Conte could really do with bringing both to the club. Tottenham have a total of six defensive, central and attacking midfielders on the books, and that number could decrease with the likes of Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso tipped for possible exits, meaning reinforcements would be needed this month.

In other news: Spurs now take next steps to sign ‘one of the best’ from PL rivals; Conte personally wants him. 

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter, and as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the rumour via social media.

The Daily Record claimed on Monday evening that the 46-year-old, who is under contract at the Amex Stadium until 2025, had been discussed as an option to replace Dean Smith at Villa Park.

BBC’s Phil McNulty provided a managerial update on Tuesday morning, name-checking the likes of Steven Gerrard, Roberto Martinez, Kasper Hjulmand, Ralph Hasenhuttl and Potter.

When it came to the Brighton boss, he said that the Englishman would be a prime contender for any vacancy, but it is highly doubted he could be tempted to leave the Seagulls.

Despite this doubt, a number of Villa fans are desperate for Solihull-born Potter, who Smith has called ‘fantastic’, to return to the Midlands.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared McNulty’s claim regarding Potter via Twitter. Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with some urging the club’s NSWE ownership to make their move for the Brighton boss.

“Please Villa”

Credit: @JackAVFC77

“I’d love to see us do whatever it takes.”

Credit: @calvmcd713

“Give them 20mil if they want it”

Credit: @AVAlex1874

“Try it!”

Credit: @EarwigLLe

“If we want to play an attractive and associative game, Graham is the best option. But it’s true that it’s the most complicated option.”

Credit: @JohnMcGinnism

“Please”

Credit: @buendiazboyz

In other news: ‘I understand’ – Ashley Preece drops Tuesday morning Frank Lampard to Aston Villa claim