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An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in signing Jacob Greaves heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Jacob Greaves to Aston Villa?

According to the Daily Mail, the Villans are eyeing up the Hull City central defender with a view to a potential swoop for the youngster at the end of the season.

The report claims that fellow Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and Brentford are both keen on the centre-back, who has caught the eye of top-flight scouts this term.

It is stated that the Englishman is valued at around £7m by the Championship outfit but it remains to be seen whether or not NSWE will lodge an offer for him.

Could Jacob Greaves be the heir to Tyrone Mings’ throne?

Unai Emery could land the dream heir to Tyrone Mings’ position on the left of his centre-back pairing by swooping to sign the Hull star in the summer.

The current Villa defender has been a solid performer at the back for the club in the Premier League this season. He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 across 21 starts and won 59% of his duels, which shows that the enforcer has been fairly efficient in his defensive work.

Mings has made the step up to the top flight in recent seasons after catching the eye for the Villans in the Championship in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign under Dean Smith. The England international averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 and won 67% of his battles across 15 outings in the second tier and has since gone on to play 126 times in the Premier League for the club.

Greaves – a left-footed centre-back – could make the same transition based on his impressive form for Hull this season. The 22-year-old, who is seven years younger than the Villa star, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 in 33 Championship outings for the Tigers and won 64% of his duels.

He has also made 3.7 tackles and interceptions and 3.8 clearances per game – compared to Mings’ 2.2 and four per match at that level – and this shows that the battler is able to consistently cut out opposition attacks with his defensive strength and positioning.

At the age of 22, Greaves is a young player with the potential to develop and improve – with ex-boss Grant McCann stating that he is “going to be special”. Indeed, that may well mean that Emery could bring the battler in as a long-term signing with the view to him taking over from Mings in the future.

His performances for Hull this season are similar to the ones that the Villa enforcer produced during his time in the Championship with Smith’s side and the Tigers star could, therefore, have the quality to make the step up to the Premier League, as his compatriot did.

What a day, what a result, what a team. Liverpool are well and truly back.A 7-0 drubbing of their fierce rivals was a result surely beyond anyone’s wildest dreams or expectations, but it was one that condemned Manchester United to their worst defeat since 1931 and to the biggest loss in the fixture’s history.United came into this as favourites but courtesy of Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, the Reds marched off into the night sky with all three points.The former finally looked at home in a Liverpool shirt, cutting inside to devastating effect for the opening goal of the game but it was undoubtedly the latter who deserves the brunt of the praise.

Who was Liverpool’s best player vs Man United?

Even if Gakpo did find the net twice, as did Salah, who ended up making the day about him with his second strike of the affair.

That goal ensured he became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer in the Premier League with 129 strikes, overtaking a certain Robbie Fowler to get there.

It was an offensive clinic from the great Egyptian who put on a show, arguably reserving his finest performance of the campaign for now.

He struck home his first goal with great aplomb and with his weaker right foot. It didn’t look weak, however, as the forward pounced on a deflection from Scott McTominay before slamming the ball past a helpless David De Gea with a “devastating” finish in the words of Jamie Carragher on commentary.

Salah’s second was a little more straightforward, stabbing the ball home from close range to spark wild celebrations.

That said, in making three key passes with his 57 touches of the football, he was as creative as he was ruthless in front of goal.

He supplied Gakpo’s second of the encounter on 50 minutes after leaving a certain Lisandro “for dead” – in the words of Neville – as the Egypt international beat the World Cup winner all ends up down the right-hand side.

That moment of magic led to a host of comedic posts on Twitter with ESPN suggesting the Argentine had been sent to “another dimension” and one Liverpool writer stating that he’d been “flipped like an omelette.”

All banter aside, this was a mesmerising display from the 30-year-old who would later go on to add another assist for the final goal of the clash, Roberto Firmino’s late seventh.

This felt like Liverpool at their rampant and incredible best again and it was no surprise that Salah was right at the heart of it.

Neville suggested on commentary that he was simply on a “different level” to anyone else on the pitch today. Indeed that is the story of his Premier League career to date. He is a master and despite Liverpool’s difficulties this term, we have to remember that.

The Sun journalist Daniel Cutts was left fuming after hearing that Arsenal are being investigated by the FA for their celebrations after Reiss Nelson’s goal.

The Lowdown: FA investigation

As per football.london, the FA are investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after Nelson’s dramatic last-minute winner in the 3-2 victory against Bournemouth in the Premier League over the weekend.

The North London club’s coaching staff and substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate the goal, and referee Chris Kavanagh has reported those celebrations to the FA.

It is not clear if the Gunners will receive any sanction for them, but they did seemingly go against the IFAB Laws of the Game.

The Latest: Cutts fumes

Taking to Twitter, Cutts fumed after hearing the news, claiming that it is ‘frightening’ how ‘out of touch with fans’ that the officials and law-makers are:

“The FA investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after their 97th minute winner is the most laughable thing I’ve heard in a long time. So out of touch with fans it’s frightening. Useless.”

The Verdict: Common sense needed

In situations like these, officials and law-makers need to show a bit of common sense.

Yes, they need to stick to the rulebook, but they must be more in touch with the emotional side of the game, in what was a potentially season-defining moment for Mikel Arteta’s team.

Nelson’s winner was the last chance of the match, with the hosts securing a dramatic comeback from being 2-0 down.

It was the difference between three points and one, and given what is at stake in terms of the title race, the club and its staff had every right to celebrate that emotional moment accordingly.

Everton have made numerous transfer missteps in recent years, however, one that seemed like it had been completed with a modicum of sense was the decision to bring in Dele Alli in January of 2022.

The English midfielder burst onto the scene at Tottenham Hotspur as a free-scoring youngster but has seen his powers and stock wane as he has struggled to recapture his blistering form.

As such, Daniel Levy sanctioned his move to Goodison Park in a deal that was structured abnormally. Leaving for free, within the contract there were clauses that meant the Toffees would only have to pay a £10m fee should he reach a certain number of games for the club and £40m based on his performances.

It was thought that should he be a success then the Merseyside club wouldn’t mind paying, whereas if he failed, which he has thus far, they could at least discount an outstanding sum being offloaded.

Having failed to have the desired impact on Frank Lampard’s squad, he has since been struggling to reignite his floundering career at Besiktas of late. It, therefore, has left Sean Dyche to clean up the mess, which he must do this summer by ditching Alli.

What is Dele Alli doing now?

The 26-year-old would start just two matches for the Toffees last season, as his talents remained untrusted whilst his potential fee loomed. Given the notorious financial failures the club has endured recently, they could not afford to waste further funds on a player who might not offer them more than what they had.

His 6.55 average rating served to support this decision, and in the two games this campaign he would show enough to suggest he had to leave. He would record just a 6.35 rating in his two short cameos.

Then, since moving to Turkey, the 6 foot 2 ace has been on the end of some scathing criticism from his boss Senol Gunes who claimed he “doesn’t deserve to play”. To make it worse he has recently been told he will never play for the club again by the head coach, banishing him to the stands.

This came months after talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordon had launched his own tirade on the failed maestro, as he claimed: “He’s been there for two months, he’s a complete and utter waste of time. He was a waste of time at Tottenham for two years, he’s been a waste of time being signed for Everton. It was a waste of time signing.”

Dyche must fix this failed Lampard experiment by ditching the £100k-per-week dud before he drains the club of any more money when he clearly has nothing left to offer.

Matheus Nunes' sending off from the bench against Leeds United yesterday typified the start to his Wolverhampton Wanderers career.

What's happened to Nunes at Wolves?

The Portuguese midfielder was signed for a club-record fee in the summer by Bruno Lage but has done very little to justify his price tag thus far, and has been relegated to the beach for recent fixtures by Julen Lopetegui.

Even with Wolves chasing the game in a relegation six-pointer against Leeds on Saturday, the former Sporting Lisbon man was left on the bench, which suggests that the Spanish manager simply doesn't trust him to have an attacking impact on the game.

Nunes, who earns £85k-per-week at Molineux, would still make his mark however, as he received a red card in the dying moments after being deemed to have pushed the linesman, and could now face three games out at a crucial period of the season.

Journalist Liam Keen criticised the 24-year-old's performance against Bournemouth in a recent podcast for the Express and Star, saying:

"The crossfield passes, and 10-yard passes that were totally out of bounds, were just not good enough unfortunately, and it's not because he isn't good enough or doesn't have the talent, it was that he was just allowing the game to pass him by, he knew he was better than the players around him.

"That's a dangerous precedent to set. You cannot think that 'right I'm head and shoulders above the players around me.' And that's what it looked like for me, and that meant that he got punished."

That was evident once again on Saturday as Nunes was clearly frustrated by being left on the bench and managed to cost his team without ever setting foot on the pitch, with that limiting Lopetegui's midfield options even further for upcoming fixtures.

Since joining in the summer, the Portugal international has managed no goals and just one assist in 25 Premier League appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a shocking 6.54 rating for his performances.

This ranks him as the eighth-best performer at Molineux this season, which is disappointing given his price tag and reputation before joining Wolves, with Pep Guardiola ranking him as "one of the best players in the world" after Manchester City beat Sporting in the Champions League last year.

It would be a bold decision by Lopetegui to get rid of Nunes so early into his Wolves career but considering his awful attitude, poor performances and the reported interest being shown in him by Liverpool and Chelsea, Lopetegui might be best served by cashing in on the record signing rather than letting him rot on the bench.

Journalist Gabriele Marcotti has questioned why Barcelona would want to bring Lionel Messi back to the club in their current financial situation.

What's going on with Messi and Barcelona?

The Argentine superstar is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, and reports have emerged that the 35-year-old wants to return to the Camp Nou.

Messi has 18 goals and 17 assists this season, but has been blamed in some quarters for PSG's disappointing Champions League exit.

Barcelona are currently in a tricky financial situation, as they have to lower their wage bill significantly to even register midfielder Gavi, meaning new signings may have to wait until the problems can be resolved.

Speaking on ESPN FC (1.10), Marcotti questioned why Barcelona would choose to sign Messi, who currently earns £1.1m-per-week, given their financial troubles.

"In terms of having Messi back on anything like the salary that he has now, that wouldn't be just be one step backwards, that would be 10 steps backwards," he stated.

"Given Barcelona's financial reality, given the investment that they've made in the position that Messi plays, in terms of the wingers that they have there from Dembele to Raphinha to Ferran Torres to Ansu Fati, it simply makes zero sense,"

Do Barcelona need another attacker?

Barcelona are well stocked on the wings, with two natural wingers on both sides, and midfielders Pedri and Gavi both able to play out wide.

Upfront they have veteran Robert Lewandowski, with Fati and Torres both capable of filling in through the middle. Overall, they area well stocked in attack, and given their financial situation, unless there are outgoings in this position, a return for Messi seems counter-productive.

Although Messi's output this season has been higher than any current Barcelona attacker, given his age, it may not be a viable long-term solution to tear up the squad to be able to fit him in.

An emotional return for the Barcelona legend would excite both Messi and the club's fans, but it would be a deal which could harm the club further down the line given the finances involved.

If the club decide to move one of the current attackers on, such as Raphinha, to make room for Messi, it may be a move which they regret further down the line. Xavi has so far managed to build a team which has shown a lot of promise for the future, with his side 12 points clear at the top of the table, and an expensive return for Messi could jeopardise this.

Journalist Liam Keen has revealed a Wolves concern over the availability of Ruben Neves, as he is not fully fit and at risk of suspension amid their relegation fight.

What's going on with Neves and Wolves?

The Portugal international has been a standout player for Julen Lopetegui's side this season, scoring five times as Wolves aim to surivive the drop.

However, they could lose their captain ahead of a crucial few weeks as he struggles with a calf knock that is being carefully managed. He has been withdrawn in each of his side's last two games, having played the full 90 minutes in every previous league start this season.

He has also accumulated nine yellow cards this season, and one more will see him pick up a two-match suspension.

Speaking on the Express and Star podcast, Keen bemoaned the situation, which means Wolves either have to gamble on the availability of their talisman or purposefully rest him in crucial matches.

He said: "I think Neves is difficult. I think they probably are trying to save him, but you can't do that for the next four games, you can't take him off every single game.

"At the same time, Lopetegui has said that he was at the limits with a calf injury and they've been managing it, so it's a difficult one.

"If they are trying to save him for games, I don't think you can do that, I think you have to just play him and hope that he gets through.

"Of course, he did it last season where he got through eight games without a booking, so it's something he's capable of doing, albeit it's difficult."

Who could Wolves play in his absence?

Rio Ferdinand once referred to Neves as "fantastic", and he will be difficult to replace if he picks up an injury or a suspension.

The £50k-per-week captain has missed just one game this season, which was the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea, and Wolves will be eager to avoid a similar disaster should they have to play without him.

One option could be to bring Matheus Nunes back into the starting XI. The summer signing has been benched for the last two games, and could return having been made available after the club won their appeal against a three-match ban for the midfielder.

Joao Moutinho and Joao Gomes could come in alongside Nunes to fill the three-man midfield, and this could be a taste of what is to come next season. With one year left on his deal, Neves looks likely to depart the club as it stands, and Lopetegui could trial his internal solutions in his absence now before turning to the transfer market.

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim is on Tottenham Hotspur's 'bulging' managerial shortlist to replace Antonio Conte, according to reports.

Who could succeed Conte at Spurs?

Spurs' hunt for a new manager will be one of the most discussed topics in north London for the next few months as chairman Daniel Levy begins the crucial process. Conte was relieved of his duties earlier this week when Tottenham and the Italian agreed to part company by mutual consent, placing Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason in temporary charge until the end of this Premier League season.

As the aforementioned duo oversee Tottenham's chase for a top-four finish, Levy and co are set to work on Spurs' permanent next manager in the background with plenty of names in contention. Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and even Zinedine Zidane stand out as the available coaches linked with joining Tottenham.

Meanwhile, the likes of Oliver Glasner (Eintracht Frankfurt), Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton), Arne Slot (Feyenoord) and Thomas Frank (Brentford) have also been named as potential targets by the media.

Now, as per The Times and journalist Tom Allnutt, Spurs have a 'bulging shortlist' of candidates including some of the names already mentioned and Sporting boss Amorim.

However, while Spurs maintain an interest in the promising young 38-year-old boss, it is believed that Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain are also targeting him, potentially giving Tottenham something to think about as the future of Christophe Galtier is uncertain.

Should Spurs target Amorim?

We believe the Portuguese is actually a brilliant candidate for the Spurs job and we're surprised he hasn't been mentioned more by members of the press. Similar to Nagelsmann given his young age, Amorim has already enjoyed a phenomenal Sporting career – winning two League Cups, one Super Cup and even a league title (Transfermarkt).

The 3-4-3 tactician deploys a similar system to that of the departed Conte, potentially making the transition to his system a far more easy one for some of Tottenham's squad if Levy were to appoint him.

What's more, Amorim already knows a current member of the Spurs squad very well. Indeed, the coach admitted he has a 'very close' relationship with defender Pedro Porro from their time at Sporting. The Spaniard enjoyed some of his finest career moments to date under Amorim and could well be in favour of Tottenham making a move for him.

Called 'incredible' by members of the media, he would be an astute hire and potentially exciting one.

Newcastle United's sole focus at present will be on securing what would be a remarkable top-four finish come May, although the Magpies hierarchy will also have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window, with further additions set to be made in order to help the club kick on even further.

As manager Eddie Howe himself previously revealed, the Tynesiders have different budget plans in place depending on where they finish in the table over the coming weeks, with the lucrative benefit of securing Champions League football undoubtedly the ultimate goal.

One man who the northeast side are already seemingly targetting ahead of next season is Crystal Palace sensation, Wilfried Zaha, with the Daily Star reporting that both the St James' Park outfit and West Ham United are the frontrunners in the race for the 30-year-old's signature.

The former Manchester United man – who is currently sidelined with a groin injury – could well still sign an extension at Selhurst Park with just a matter of weeks left to run on his existing deal, albeit with the report suggesting that the Ivory Coast international will be 'open to offers' amid that Premier League interest.

Would Zaha be a good signing for Newcastle?

The signing of the long-serving Eagles talisman would appear to be an attractive prospect for Howe and co due to his proven ability in England's top-flight, having scored 67 goals and registered 29 assists in 302 Premier League games in the competition to date.

That being said, however, the £130k-per-week man has endured a far more underwhelming campaign this time around for the relegation-threatened outfit, having scored just six goals and provided only two assists in the league, prior to his injury setback.

Such below-par form may be of concern to those back on Tyneside, as too may be Zaha's apparent likeness to Man United enigma, Antony, with the pair said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

That comparison between the two fleet-footed wingers is showcased by their creative flair with the Palace man having racked up 70 progressive carries and 60 progressive passes so far this season in the league, with the Red Devils dynamo has recorded 78 progressive carries and 58 progressive passes.

That likeness is also further showcased by the duo's potential inconsistency, with Antony having been branded "frustrating" by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, while Zaha has been described previously as something of a "maverick" who "plays by himself", according to Liverpool legend, John Barnes.

Such a comparison is not altogether flattering as the Old Trafford wizard has only scored three league goals himself in his debut campaign at the Theatre of Dreams, having made a mixed start to life at the club after signing from Ajax on an £86m deal last summer.

For Newcastle to be able to land their answer to the Brazilian, in the form of Zaha, without having to pay a transfer fee could prove an astute move, although Howe may have to consider the wisdom of bringing in a potentially unreliable and individualistic talent to his attacking ranks.

Newcastle United target Joao Pedro “would jump” at the chance to move to St. James’ Park, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

What's the latest on Pedro to Newcastle?

Pedro currently plays his football at Watford in the Championship, and despite his deal there not expiring for another five years, the Hornets' likely failure to secure promotion this season means that he could look for a move elsewhere this summer, and he wouldn’t be short of a potential suitor in the Premier League.

Football Insider report that the Magpies are long-term admirers of the 21-year-old having seen a £30m deal rejected last summer, as it’s claimed that Eddie Howe remains keen on his target and is plotting a new move ahead of the upcoming window. The Brazilian is Chris Wilder’s best-performing player with an average match rating of 7.48 so it’s no surprise to see that the northeast boss is still monitoring him, and it sounds like he could be more than tempted to make the move to St. James’ Park.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke insisted that Pedro would love to sign for Newcastle, with the possibility of Champions League football an extra incentive. He said:

“This is long-term interest from Newcastle for Joao Pedro. They tried to sign him last January, but weren't able to get a deal over the line. They've continued to keep tabs on him. He's obviously been in the Championship with Watford this season, so I'm sure the player would jump at the chance to move back to the Premier League as it doesn't look like Watford are going to win promotion back to the top flight.

"As I said, the chance to go to Newcastle with potential Champions League football on offer – I'm sure this is something Joao Pedro would jump at."

Should Newcastle make another offer for Pedro?

Pedro is Watford’s standout performer and with the prolific qualities that he possesses in the final third, Newcastle should definitely submit another bid in a second attempt to secure his services.

The £25k-per-week talisman has racked up 15 goal contributions (11 goals and four assists) in 33 Championship appearances this season and has bagged an outstanding ten man-of-the-match awards during that time, with his form and movement in tight spaces having seen him described as “elegant” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The Hornets star is also always looking to produce moments of magic even when he’s not on the scoresheet, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons alongside recording 107 shot-creating actions this season, higher than any of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, so the Magpies' board shouldn’t even have to think twice about making another approach.