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Aston Villa will look to re-sign Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe this summer.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider, who claimed that the Midlands club have made the 23-year-old one of their top targets for the summer window.

Tuanzebe, who made 35 appearances for Villa during two separate loan spells, is thought to be valued at around £7m by the Red Devils. He is on £38,000 per week at Old Trafford and has 12 months remaining on his deal, although United do have the option to extend it until 2023 next summer.

Football Insider have been informed by a Villa source that Tuanzebe ‘fits the profile the recruitment team are seeking’ – an interesting inside eight-word update.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, bringing in Tuanzebe – who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently called ‘outstanding’ – for £7m could be a brilliant piece of business. He played a key role in Villa’s promotion to the Premier League in 2019 and could provide strong competition to first-choice pairing Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.

Both Konsa and Mings have been ever-presents under Dean Smith this season, but should one get injured, Villa don’t exactly have the proven quality to come in for them. Reports have suggested that Villa are planning to offload Bjorn Engels this summer, and should that be the case, that would leave Smith with just Kortney Hause as cover for Konsa and Mings.

Therefore, adding Tuanzebe to the defensive ranks on a permanent basis may prove to be an excellent move in the long run.

In other news: Villa lining up huge bid for another Premier League ace, find out more here.  

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, believes a lot of players aren’t strong enough for the Premier League as they get pushed off the ball too easily.

It is well documented that Wolves have signed a high number of Portuguese players such as Pedro Neto, Fabio Silva and Daniel Podence who are currently at the club with the former losing possession once tackled 57 times from 119 attempted dribbles, the second most at Wolves.

Silva has struggled for goals and form this season as he has struggled to find his feet in the Premier League and come to terms with the physicality in England.

Speaking on why a lot of young players from the continent struggle when they first arrive in the Premier League and who they should look to for inspiration, Bull told FFC:

“I think there are quite a few youngsters these days like Fabio Silva who need to know it’s not all about weight and muscle, you haven’t got to be the biggest person but you have got to have some muscle.

“You’ve got to be able to stand your ground and if anybody comes behind you and tries to rugby tackle you, then you’ve got to be able to stay on your two feet.

“Some of our players seem as though they just fall over and you look at Podence, Jota, Traore and Jimenez they don’t get knocked off the ball, they’re solid. All the players below them have got to take a leaf out of their book, but don’t go massive so you can’t run.”

Wolves have had to adjust the way they approach games without their output and talisman, Raul Jimenez, who has been out injured for the majority of the season with a fractured skull.

Fabio Silva has played 23 games for Wolves in the league despite being just 18-years-old and the £80,000-per-week youngster has only scored twice.

Everton are rightly set to release Joshua King at the end of his contract this summer, having proven to be an utter disaster since signing from AFC Bournemouth.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Blues chiefs have seen enough from King since his Deadline Day arrival last month to opt against retaining the Norway international.

Everton paid Bournemouth £2m to take over the final six-months of the forward’s £45,000-per-week contract, with the option to later trigger a longer-term deal.

But Carlo Ancelotti has decided against activating the clause, which would have seen the Cherries owed up to a further £3m, and will instead pursue alternative options in the next transfer window.

The Italian tactician is thought to have been unimpressed by King’s results since moving to Merseyside on the final day of the winter window, and has often overlooked the 29-year-old even when without Dominic Calvert-Lewin through injury.

King is yet to start a single fixture for the Toffees, with each of his eight appearances to date coming from the bench and totalling a combined 117 minutes.

Four of the 52-cap forward’s outings have lasted less than 10 minutes, and he is yet to provide a single goal or assist in royal blue.

King, who had previously expressed intentions to remain at Goodison Park for next season, has recently been linked with a move to Fenerbahce with claims of an approach being made by Super Lig outfit to his representatives.

Should Everton release King?

Claims of Ancelotti being unimpressed by King’s performances for Everton are hardly surprising given his lack of playing time so far, making a decision to part ways with the £9m-rated forward the best option for both sides.

Being released at the end of his contract will allow King to explore options that will return the highest payout, given claims in January that the Norwegian was pushing for a £120k-p/w deal.

Not taking up the option to extend King’s contract will also allow Everton to begin exploring potential replacements, knowing they will not be held back by first having to find a suitor willing to take on his wages.

King’s salary, plus the £2m paid to Bournemouth, has so far cost the Toffees £20,000 for each minute he has played, with the former Manchester United trainee taking in £315,000 for his 117 minutes of action since February 1st.

It is highly likely that King will continue to steal a living at Goodison Park until his terms lapse in 17 weeks’ time on June 30th, with the further £765,000 that Everton are locked into paying the striker going on a bench warmer based on his current record.

Simply put, King’s move has proven to be an utter disaster for the Toffees, who have not seen anything from the player who former Cherries boss Eddie Howe once lauded as the “complete package”.

AND in other news, Farhad Moshiri is set to back Everton as Carlo Ancelotti eyes a 29-y/o he described as “the best” in the world…

Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that Liverpool’s season has been nothing short of a “disaster”.

The club are facing a genuine battle to finish in the top four, a comedown after last season’s brilliance as they won the Premier League title at a canter.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are fighting with Chelsea, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur to qualify for the Champions League, with their hopes taking a fresh blow on Saturday as they were held to a last-gasp 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at Anfield.

But they could well finish in the Europa League, as they have battled with a number of injury issues.

Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson, Alisson Becker and Divock Origi have all struggled with injury issues, with the first two missing the majority of the season.

Liverpool only dropped points in six games last season, drawing three and losing three, but following the clash with Newcastle United, they have now drawn nine and lost nine.

And Fry believes that they have run out of luck this term.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I mean, after the previous two years, where they’ve been absolutely brilliant, this season’s been a disaster in as much as he’s had horrendous injuries for a horrendously long time and things like that, everything’s gone wrong for Liverpool this season.”

Ross Barkley has earned plaudits from the official Aston Villa Twitter account for his display against former club Everton on Saturday, but plenty of fans were less than impressed.

Villa won 2-1 on Merseyside to end a three-game winless streak and regain their place in the top half.

The impressive numbers behind Barkley’s Goodison showing

Chelsea loanee Barkley was awarded a rating of 7.8 by SofaScore for his performance.

He created two chances, one of which was a big chance, and won six of his nine ground duels. The 27-year-old also struck the post with an effort from outside the area.

And according to Villa’s Twitter account, Barkley recorded the most touches (84), most completed passes (55) and most dribbles (four) out of anyone on the pitch.

He was even included in the WhoScored team of the week in central midfield alongside Manchester City’s Rodri.

Barkley had been struggling for form, with Birmingham Mail journalist Ashley Preece noting that his ‘confidence (is) on the floor’ amid ‘fierce and harsh criticism’ from sections of the Villa fanbase.

And some supporters seem to not be buying the upturn in form considering his poor displays through most of the season – Whoscored rank him as the side’s tenth-best performer.

Villa fans tell Ross it’s ‘too little, too late’

“Not so good at marking from corners though. Feel the improved performance was down to the opponents more than anything else”

Credit: @SilverFoxZone

“Too little too late. He needed to step up months ago. Flattered to deceive. We need someone who can handle the pressure when Jack is out”

Credit: @pkaza84

“Fool me once…”

Credit: @M10Packed

“Badly wanted him to prove me wrong at the start of the season but it’s just not happened…. 3 good games in a season is no more than championship level”

Credit: @Liam_Kinsella95

“Shut up”

Credit: @branparker4

“Gives ball away far too many times and only person he can tackle is himself.”

Credit: @knightyc1980

In other news, Dean Smith’s side are said to be plotting a move for this defender.

A number of Liverpool fans have been bemoaning the choice of officials for Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Manchester United this weekend.

The Reds make the trip to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, in what represents a must-win clash for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

In truth, their top-four hopes are fading by the game, and failure to win against their bitter rivals will surely spell the end of their chances.

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Liverpool have been famously poor at Old Trafford under Klopp, not winning there under him in the league and getting knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this season.

A big performance is required after last weekend’s huge disappointment at home to Newcastle United, when missed chances and a late lapse cost the Reds dearly.

The officials have been confirmed for this weekend’s match, with Michael Oliver refereeing the contest and Paul Tierney on VAR duties.

Liverpool fans rue officials for Man United game

These Liverpool supporters are unimpressed with the selections, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“We’ve lost loooool”

Credit: @K9Capalot

“Man U are definitely getting at least one penalty then”

Credit: @johnevans1977

“Well, if there was any hope that LFC gets anything from that game, that’s it gone. Personally, I know we’re losing that one, but those men will make sure of it”

Credit: @Farisalfarik

“May God help us”

Credit: @baba_sani_auwal

“We are so done”

Credit: @FplPopo

“Man United guaranteed a penalty and a clear Livepool goal will be disallowed by VAR”

Credit: @Liberatus_Mokoe

In other news, some Liverpool fans believe one player has peaked – find out who it is here.

Wolves will have plenty to improve upon when the summer transfer window opens.

Nuno Santo will have to enhance a striker line-up that’s bagged just four goals since Raul Jimenez’s injury. They will also need to bring more depth into a squad ravaged by injury this term.

What’s the word?

One player linked with a move to Wolves is Omar Mascarell.

The holding midfield player is currently Schalke’s captain but after claiming he wouldn’t leave back in January, it now looks as though he’s wanting a new adventure.

The German club are in dire financial straits at the moment which means Mascarell could be available for as little as £4m.

What will also make Wolves’ pursuit easier is the fact that Schalke have now been relegated from the Bundesliga. That all unravelled this week as the club’s players ended up being chased down the street by an angry mob of ultras.

Subsequently, the Old Gold are looking to take advantage and bring the 28-year-old back to English football.

When the midfielder was a Real Madrid player, he spent a period on loan at Derby in the Championship where he caught the eye.

Forget Dendoncker

If Wolves sign a new midfielder then it may just provide Nuno with the ammunition he needs to axe Leander Dendoncker from the starting XI.

The Belgian has played in defence and in the middle of the park this term but he has been pretty inconsistent along the way.

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He was at fault during their battering against Manchester City and has been relatively inconsistent; specifically in defence.

When Dendoncker came up against Newcastle and Allan-Saint Maximin he was skinned on a regular basis as the French winger flourished with four key passes and four dribbles.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a bad idea if Wolves searched for an upgrade.

Mascarell may have been relegated this term but he is still a midfielder that can offer plenty.

Nuno wasn’t in charge when the Spaniard played for Derby but Wolves saw firsthand just how good he was when the Rams defeated them 5-0 in November 2014.

The Schalke enforcer completed 95% of his passes, four of which created key opportunities to score. Mascarell claimed an assist too as he terrorised both Danny Batth and Ethan Ebanks-Landell. He also did the dirty work well too, registering two tackles and three interceptions.

It was a performance that was described as “absolutely outstanding” by first-team coach Paul Simpson at the time.

Of course, times have changed, but his free-kicks and corners that day were also attractive. “His set-piece delivery was very good against Wolves on a number of occasions and it gives us an added threat in the opposition’s penalty area,” Simpson continued.

That being said, it’s the defensive assets he possesses that would be so crucial to Wolves building from the back.

He won 1.8 tackles and 2.7 interceptions per game last term for instance. Dendoncker, on the other hand, managed the same number of challenges but fewer interceptions with just one per match.

Mascarell reads the play well and would offer a dynamic threat from dead-ball scenarios; there is much to like about his game.

AND in other news, Forget McBurnie: Wolves can save £15m by unleashing “powerful” rarely-seen beast…

Tottenham Hotspur’s season has very much repeated the same story.

The north London outfit have led 21 of their 30 league outings so far this term but have dropped a whopping 15 points from those winning positions.

Had they picked up those points, then Spurs would be sitting pretty in second place, four points ahead of today’s opposition, Manchester United.

For the most part, Jose Mourinho has absolutely rued individual errors and defensive mistakes, and that’s ultimately something he can ill afford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.

On the Chalkboard

Indeed, despite having the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, their blunders at the back have been the defining theme of 2020/21.

It was only in October that Spurs thrashed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men 6-1 and two months later, they were sat top of the league.

Mourinho watched Davinson Sanchez make the latest in a long list of mistakes at Newcastle United last weekend.

Spurs looked to be heading for three points until five minutes from time when the Colombian clattered into his centre-back partner Joe Rodon, which allowed Joe Willock to ghost into the box and score an easy equaliser.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-april-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, April transfer rumours and more!”]

Following the match, former Ireland captain-turned-pundit Kenny Cunningham blasted the £31.5m-rated star on the OTB Football podcast. He said:

“When he’s not at his best, when he’s having one of those looser moments, then he’s a real liability to his team. And that was the case today. Had an awful first half, to be honest with you.”

Whilst the 24-year-old colossus started the 6-1 win, he was not part of the Spurs side that skyrocketed to top spot, as in the subsequent game, West Ham launched a stunning three-goal comeback to earn a point.

Sanchez was then axed from the starting XI in ten of their next 11 games.

He’s since worked his way back into the lineup, starting nine successive outings, but now it’s time to drop him once again after the latest error.

In February, ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara implored the club to sell him as he’s part of one of the worst centre-back partnerships in the division, whilst Mourinho himself has even noted that Sanchez was the “weak link” when at Ajax.

United’s frontline of Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes is one to be feared – the trio have scored 55% of their league goals this term, and all three have either scored or assisted 52 of their 58 strikes, as per WhoScored.

Having someone who is prone to calamity is a recipe for disaster, so Sanchez really ought to be named on the bench today. When you have Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld waiting in the wings, there’s really no need to risk starting someone who has held Spurs back all season.

It’s not a coincidence that Mourinho enjoyed his best run in the league without him.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy played a blinder over 31 y/o’s exit…

Southampton produced a stirring comeback on Sunday afternoon to beat Burnley 3-2 and earn their first three points at home in the Premier League in three months.

A Chris Wood penalty gave Sean Dyche’s side the lead before Matej Vydra’s volley made it 2-0 and at that point, it seemed as if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were going to be on the end of another defeat in the Premier League.

However, they hit back quickly through Stuart Armstrong’s strike from the edge of the box after a Danny Ings flick, before the 28-year-old marked his return from injury with a well-taken goal against his old side to make it 2-2 before half-time.

Nick Pope made a series of excellent saves in the second half to keep the Saints out but he could do nothing when Nathan Redmond volleyed home the winner from Theo Walcott’s cross.

Redmond was arguably the game’s outstanding player, as he caused a lot of problems for Burnley with his direct running and dribbling, whilst he also picked up the assist for Ings’ equaliser.

As per SofaScore, the former Norwich City man earned an impressive 8.5 match rating for his display, which comfortably ranked him as the man of the match, with the winger picking up where he left off last time out against Bournemouth when his brace helped Southampton to a 3-0 victory in the FA Cup.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

During the 90 minutes, Redmond would complete four out of seven dribbles, which was joint with Ings as the most of any player from both sides.

Too often this season we have seen the 27-year-old dribble at opponents with no end product but he was on top form again today, as he contributed a superb four key passes, which is far more than the 0.7 key passes he has averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

He would also create two big chances for his teammates, whilst his pass accuracy rate of 78% was again above his average of 76.4% in the top-flight so far this season.

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Considering the £16.2m-rated Redmond had just one goal and one assist in the Premier League before today, Hasenhuttl will be delighted that his winger was on top form for the second match in a row and hopefully he will be able to maintain that sort of performance for the rest of the season, now that the Saints have eased their relegation fears following today’s impressive comeback.

And, in other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop, he’s stealing a wage

United States women's national team veteran Becky Sauerbrunn endured a "rough day" as her mistake set Mexico on the way to a shock Gold Cup win.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• USWNT suffered historic loss to Mexico on Monday
• Sauerbrunn error helped La Tri take the lead
• Defender speaks after costly incident

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The USWNT hadn't lost on home soil to CONCACAF opposition since 2000 but Mexico started well in their group stage clash on Monday night and Sauerbrunn's error helped gift La Tri a deserved goal, Lizbeth Ovalle capitalising with a great finish. It took until stoppage time for Pedro Lopez's side to make it two but Mayra Pelayo's wonderstrike was worth waiting for as Mexico beat the U.S. for just the second time ever.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT SAUERBRUNN SAID

  Speaking after the game, Sauerbrunn said: "I made a mistake. It's very obvious that it was all on me. I probably should have done anything [other] than what I did.

  "As a veteran, you have some rough days at the office and tonight is definitely a rough day. But luckily, you’ll have another day at the office and it’s just what you make out of it."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was a disappointing defeat and performance from the USWNT but Twila Kilgore's team had already qualified for the Gold Cup quarter-finals and can still have a successful tournament. Finishing second to Mexico in Group A will make that success harder to attain, though, as a trickier opponent in the knockout stages likely awaits.