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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.

Alan Brazil has slammed Vitaliy Mykolenko for his role in Everton’s Merseyside derby defeat last night on TalkSport.

The Lowdown: Everton brought back down to earth

After a stunning start to life as Everton manager, Sean Dyche’s Toffees side were brought crashing back down to earth on Monday evening as they were easily swept aside by their local rivals.

Everton did manage to pick up three points from two games against Arsenal and Liverpool, which many may have taken prior to the victory against the Gunners, but last night showed why they are near the bottom of the table.

The Toffees failed to take the game to Liverpool at any stage, managing just three shots on target which equated to an expected goals ratio of just 0.3 (as per FBref). Meanwhile, their defending from the likes of Mykolenko, Conor Coady and also goalkeeper Jordan Pickford left a lot to be desired.

The Lates: Mykolenko poor in latest defeat

Indeed, Brazil picked out Mykolenko for his lack of defensive awareness in Everton’s defeat as he left a lot of the pitch open for Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo to drift into for the first goal.

He said: “Mykolenko, what was he doing? He came right across trying to cover, and he was like the right-hand side centre-back. He didn’t have to go that far over, he just left the middle wide open. Surely he had to be another 10-12 yards back, central, and then the cross into the box would’ve been harder.”

The Verdict: Problems arise for Dyche

While getting beaten by Liverpool is not something unusual for Everton over the years, the fact that both of the goals they conceded had included errors meant the Toffees didn’t make their rivals work very hard, which will be frustrating for fans.

Dyche will be furious that experienced players such as Coady and Pickford made high-profile errors that allowed Liverpool to score as he will have been looking to players like them to lead Everton away from the drop zone, as they remain engulfed in a relegation dogfight.

In fairness to Mykolenko, while he did indeed vacate a lot of space behind him for the first goal, he clearly felt as though he had to go over and close down Darwin Nunez in a split-second decision, such was the devastating speed of the Uruguayan’s counter-attack.

But Brazil wasn’t alone in slating the defender’s display, as reporter Jeorge Bird also felt he had ‘difficult moments’ all game.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed the future of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is in doubt now that he has become the club’s record goalscorer.

What’s the word?

It was a pretty good weekend for the Spurs striker as he helped his team pick up an important win in the Premier League. Indeed, the 29-year-old scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

However, not only did that goal help Tottenham pick up all three points and move just one point and one place behind Newcastle United in the Champions League places, but it also saw Kane reach an important milestone.

Indeed, the England captain netted his 267th goal for Spurs, meaning he has now supposed Jimmy Greaves to become the north London club’s all-time top scorer.

However, having achieved this goal, Sutton has wondered if that could be enough to convince Kane that this summer will be the right time to finally leave the club for pastures new.

Speaking live on BBC 606, he said: “I mean, it does beg the question, doesn’t it?

“Now that, you know, he’s got the record at Spurs, what happens in the summer? I mean, are there Spurs fans out there who think that he could be lured away? I don’t know.”

Next challenge

With Kane yet to win a major trophy at Tottenham, he has had to become a club legend by setting personal records and now that he arguably has the most important individual accolade a player can have at a club, he may feel the time is right to seek a new challenge.

What’s more, he will be turning 30 in the summer and with his contract expiring in 2024 this might be the best chance to leave Spurs while he is still in his prime years.

The likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich are both often touted as possible destinations and it’s certainly reasonable to think he would have a better chance of winning silverware with those clubs.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out in the summer. For now, though, Kane seems pretty happy to have beaten this record at Tottenham.

Indeed, speaking after the game, he BBC Match of the Day: “When you look at the names who have been here, to overtake Jimmy Greaves – one of the greatest to play the game – I’m extremely grateful.”

Arsenal have a ‘very good chance’ of signing Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Ndicka’s future

The 23-year-old’s contract at Deutsche Bank Park is set to expire at the end of the season, and a whole host of Premier League clubs are said to be interested in his signature, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United named as potential suitors in recent weeks.

Falk has recently claimed that Arsenal have spoken to the player’s agent, although a move away from his current club is not said to be concrete, as the Bundesliga outfit are still hoping to extend his contract.

The Latest: Ndicka to Arsenal is possible

The centre-back is yet to extend his stay in Germany, and Falk has now shared a fresh claim on the Gunners’ chances of signing Ndicka.

When asked by GIVEMESPORT if there is a possibility of Arsenal getting their man, the journalist replied: “If he is leaving the club, I would say yes, they have a very good chance. But also Frankfurt is hoping to keep him; he has an offer on the table for a new deal.

“It’s a three-year contract. He gets more money. But also, if he gets €3-5m, this is what I’ve heard.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Described as a ‘towering’ defender by journalist Jacque Talbot, Ndicka is fantastic in aerial situations, using his 6 foot 4 frame to his advantage by winning 2.42 aerial duels per 90 in the past year, more than both Gabriel (2.06) and William Saliba (1.63) have managed in the same timeframe.

While this presence would be very useful for Arsenal in defensive situations, there are also indications that the Frenchman could offer a threat in attack. He weighed in with four goals and four assists for Frankfurt in the Bundesliga last season, a fine record for a defender.

The Gunners are not blessed with too many options at centre-back, with Rob Holding being the only senior backup option at present, and Ndicka would at least provide some much-needed depth in Mikel Arteta’s squad.

Liverpool’s most salient area for reinforcing on the transfer front is unequivocally the centre of the park, but that does not mean the club won’t target the offensive front if the right, enticing opportunity comes along.

And according to reports stemming from Italy (via the Liverpool Echo), MLS outfit Chicago Fire’s prodigious forward talent Jhon Duran has caught the attention of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who is making a ‘concrete’ move for the player with the January market recently swinging its doors open.

The teenager has scarcely tasted senior action, but has already impressed in his first year with a clinical edge and fearsome physicality that could pave the foundation for an exemplary career as a striking phenomenon.

A fee of roughly $21m (£17.5m), could be enough to prise him away from Fire’s clutches, as per Calciomercato, and although the asking price might appear steep for an unknown commodity on European soil, his dynamic skill set would be a welcome tool for any top outfit chasing success…

Calciomercato reporter Raffaele Amato tweeted this about the situation: “Liverpool are also making concrete moves for Duran, but the current offer is lower than Benfica’s. The biggest pitfall for the Portuguese is represented by Aston Villa. Chicago are aiming to collect 20 million euros.”

Next Suarez

At only 19-years-old, Duran has bagged eight goals and five assists from only 14 starts across the 2022 MLS campaign in a breakthrough year where the Colombian phenom has emerged onto the American scene in resounding fashion.

The three-cap gem was at the centre of heaped praise from talent scout Jacek Kulig when he was still only 18-years-old, regarded as a “complete” centre-forward, “fast, powerful & confident with the ball at his feet”, and “aggressive & determined in the penalty area.”

His all-encompassing aura on the pitch, despite his tender age, could pay dividends for Klopp as he looks to turn the page on a new chapter at Anfield, and bring the club a talisman for the coming years that could emulate the success of coveted centre-forward Luis Suarez, someone who like Duran, was very much an aggressive and complete attacker.

Suarez signed for the Reds from AFC Ajax in 2012 for a fee of £22.7m, and he went on to forge one of the most devastating careers in Premier League history, captivating fans and pundits alike with his blistering arsenal and innate knack to find the back of the net from every distance and angle, scoring 69 goals and 39 assists over just 110 Premier League outings.

The “wonderkid” – as heralded by Tom Bogert – is still very much untested on the biggest stage, but he certainly holds the ingredients to serve up a concoction of striking excellence, and with a cutting edge already apparent from his little time spent in the MLS, he could nurture his precocious abilities at one of the world’s most prominent outfits.

His impressive Sofascore rating of 6.91 is a testament to his tenacity and all-encompassing approach to his game, and with 2.2 shots per match, his peppering output is certainly reminiscent to a former phenom in Liverpool red who took the nation by storm.

Chelsea are eyeing up a swoop for a Bundesliga defender in the January transfer window as Graham Potter looks to assert his authority on the squad.

What’s the news?

According to Sky Sports, the Blues are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie during the upcoming transfer window in order to improve their defensive options.

The Mirror claimed last month that Stamford Bridge scouts had been watching the player during Ecuador’s World Cup campaign, featuring in all three matches in Qatar as the South American side were eliminated at the group stage.

His performances have obviously attracted attention, though, and with his contract not expiring until 2026, Chelsea might be required to splash the cash in order to lure him to London.

The CIES Football Observatory have valued the youngster at €60m (£52.2m), and Chelsea might need to spend even more to sign him.

Potter can unearth his next Koulibaly

The Blues signed Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli in the summer and he has impressed in his nine Premier League matches so far, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10 while making two tackles, 3.1 clearances and 1.3 interceptions per game, which shows that he has adapted quite well to English football.

Potter is looking to sign a defensive partner for the Senegal international, and Hincapie certainly fits the bill, especially when he is rated the third-most comparable player to the Chelsea star according to FBref’s similar player model.

Indeed, this season has seen the two players register similar statistics when it comes to tackles won (12 to 13, Koulibaly first), interceptions (12 to 11), aerial duels won (60.7% to 51.2%), and pass success rate (84.9% to 82.6%).

Hincapie appears to have all the required attributes to become one of the finest defenders in the world over the next few years, and he would surely learn a lot under Koulibaly’s tutelage.

The Ecuadorian was described as “colossal” by Víctor Hernández Molina, while he was also lauded for his “huge personality” by South American analytical site SudanAnalytics, and this high praise should further cement Potter’s need to sign the defender next month.

Chelsea have conceded 17 goals in 14 league matches this season, and if the 47-year-old is serious about claiming a top-four spot and Champions League football next term, then bringing a talent like Hincapie to London could be his ideal first signing.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could dip into the market and snare a former academy prospect, bringing him back to the Emirates Stadium with a lucrative bid.

What’s the word?

90min are reporting that Valencia have initiated contract talks with their rising star Yunus Musah, who signed for the Spanish outfit in 2019, after departing from the Gunners academy. 

With Liverpool and Chelsea also emerging as potential suitors for the dynamic midfielder, Arteta will need to move swiftly if he is indeed to make his move for a player they have been tracking since 2019.

The report states that while Valencia would be open to sale, should they fail in their contractual offer, Musah’s release clause of €100m (£86m) could be a wall too insurmountable to overcome. 

Ramsey heir

Arsenal have gone from strength to strength across the past few seasons, and now top the Premier League table after 14 matches played, ahead of the formidable Manchester City by five points.

There is a desire to improve several departments of the team, however, with The Sun reporting earlier this season that Gunners owner Stan Kroenke will present the Spaniard Arteta with funds to target impactful additions, with the centre of the park and the wide flanks desired.

Musah played an integral role in the USA’s commendable World Cup campaign, where the side finished second in the group phase and lost in a thrilling round-of-16 encounter against the Netherlands.

As per Sofascore, the industrious midfielder recorded an 87% pass success rate in Qatar, making 2.0 tackles per match and aiding his team as the central focal point, linking the offensive and defensive departments with a refined presence that belies his tender age.

His tenacity in the centre offers shades of Aaron Ramsey, who starred for the Gunners, making 371 appearances for the London giants, scoring 65 goals and assists apiece and playing a vital role in securing three FA Cup trophies during his lengthy stay. 

Musah, who ranks within the top 7% for dribbles completed when compared to midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues this term, as per FBref, displays a clear aptitude for seeking out forward transitions and instigating positive plays. 

Much like Ramsey, there is a knack for implementing a forward-thinking mindset into the game, and Arsenal would certainly welcome this approach back to the Emirates, with the “connector” – as Gregg Berhalter calls him – raising the performance of all his teammates when he’s fit and firing. 

Having already plied his trade at Arsenal at youth level, the door remains open for a return, and despite the deal likely being rather expensive, Arsenal would boast a newfound presence of dogged ubiquity in the middle, who could help them continue to rise.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is well underway and Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte may be analysing the ongoing games with one eye on the upcoming January transfer window.

He has the opportunity to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the season and the international competition being in the winter provides an unprecedented chance for players to catch the eye on the world stage ahead of January.

One gem who could play his way into a switch to England is Denmark international Andreas Skov Olsen, who currently plays for Club Brugge in Belgium.

According to a recent report from Nieuwsblad, Spurs have sent scouts to watch the attacker in action during the tournament, although it remains to be seen whether or not they will make a concrete move for him at the start of 2023.

The 22-year-old played 65 minutes against Tunisia in his side’s opening World Cup match but did not feature at all in Denmark’s 2-1 defeat to France in their second game.

Olsen may now be hoping that he can play a big part in Denmark’s final group stage match against Australia, which they will need to win to give themselves a chance of progressing through to the last 16.

If he can catch the eye in that game, and potentially beyond, then he could convince Spurs to swoop for him in January and manager Conte could find Dejan Kulusevski 2.0 if the club bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League.

Like the Juventus loanee, Olsen is a left-footed right winger who is adept at scoring and creating goals from out wide, despite not possessing blistering pace.

The winger, who has racked up 96 goals and assists in his club career to date, came into the tournament in fine form after a strong start to the season with Brugge.

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.41 in the Belgian top-flight this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists in 12 starts – creating 2.1 chances per match.

Olsen joined Brugge in January of this year and produced six goals and eight assists in 12 starts during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, Kulusevski has created five goals and provided 1.9 key passes per outing across nine matches in the Premier League this season for Spurs, which highlights the creativity he is able to provide from a wide position.

Therefore, the Danish international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as “perfect”, could be the next version of the Swedish attacker for Spurs by coming in and being a left-footed magician who can consistently create chances on the right wing for Conte.

He could provide competition for Kulusevski and has played through the middle and out on the left during his career so far, which means that they could also both line up in the same XI if selected and it does not have to be one or the other.

After their relegation from the Premier League in 2021, West Bromwich Albion valued Sam Johnstone at £20m, but the Baggies could only watch on as he left on a free transfer the following summer.

The shot-stopper made the move to the Hawthorns in 2018, joining from Manchester United in a deal worth £6.5m after impressing in the Championship with Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

Johnstone would go on to make 167 appearances for the club, in which he conceded 216 goals and kept 45 clean sheets, with his performances certainly catching the eye in the 2020/21 campaign despite relegation from the top flight, with Gary Lineker labelling him “unbelievable” after some impressive saves.

The Preston-born goalkeeper earned a call-up to the England squad and West Brom were determined to make a big profit on him, despite his contract being set to expire in 2022.

Amid interest from West Ham United and old side Manchester United, with Johnstone no doubt to remain in the top flight after making a name for himself in the top division, West Brom demanded £20m for his services.

Unfortunately, that price proved to be too high for any interested parties, as the Hammers saw a £10m bid rejected, and he would remain in the Championship with the Baggies, making 36 appearances in the 2021/22 campaign as they endured a disappointing 10th place finish.

Johnstone was never going to extend his contract at the Hawthorns after such an underwhelming campaign and was free to move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his contract.

He would join Crystal Palace and while he is yet to usurp Vicente Guaita as the no.1 choice at Selhurst Park, making just one appearance so far, it seems likely that he will step up as the main man in between the sticks in Patrick Vieira’s side once the 35-year-old Spaniard moves on.

Had West Brom not been so greedy and demanded such a high fee for Johnstone, then they could have sold him to the Premier League and used the money to improve the squad, rather than losing such a talented player for nothing.

Newcastle United are currently sitting in the top four in the Premier League table after a fantastic start to the 2022/23 campaign under Eddie Howe.

The Magpies have accrued 21 points from 12 games and are above Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea as it stands, although they have played one game more than all three of those.

Howe’s men have won four of their last five matches in the top flight and are on a terrific run of form which currently has them in contention to finish in a European place.

However, the club’s superb results in the league this season may not stop Dan Ashworth from dipping into the transfer market to improve the squad further in January.

It was recently reported that the Magpies are keen on a deal to sign Christian Pulisic from Chelsea for €45m (£39m), as the 24-year-old is unhappy with his lack of game-time at Stamford Bridge under Graham Potter.

Signing the USA international from the Blues could allow Ashworth to finally ditch one of Newcastle’s biggest underperformers in recent years, namely Jacob Murphy.

The £35k-per-week dud has produced one goal and zero assists in 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, after managing one goal and two assists in 33 outings last term playing as a winger and a full-back at times.

Pulisic has only started twice in the top flight in 2022/23 but he caught the eye last season with six goals and two assists in 13 starts for Chelsea.

Previously speaking about the competition for his place in the Chelsea team, Hakim Ziyech hailed the former Borussia Dortmund man by saying: “Kai (Havertz) and Timo (Werner) are two big talents, they have proved it at their clubs before. Christian is one of the biggest talents. They have a lot of quality.

“Christian has been here a season longer, and you can see what he is capable of doing on the pitch. He is a crazy winger. It is really exciting to work with them and I can’t wait to be on the pitch, fully fit and doing our thing.”

The American forward’s best season for Chelsea came in the 2019/20 campaign as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 25 Premier League games.

At the age of 24, he is also three years younger than Murphy and could have more years in him as a player, whilst holding greater potential to develop and improve.

Coupled with the pair’s respective statistics in the top flight, this suggests that Pulisic could be an upgrade on the Englishman, which would allow Ashworth to finally ditch the former Norwich man after joining the Tyneside club in 2017.