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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes his old club will be aiming to play in the Champions League in the near future.

While qualifying for the Europa League still looks like a possibility for the Villans this season, that final Champions League spot is probably out of reach, with quite a few teams standing between them and fourth place.

Going forward, though, Hendrie expects the club’s owners, Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, to eventually demand Tuesday and Wednesday night football at Villa Park, a demand he can understand.

On Villa’s ambitions for the future, the retired Premier League footballer told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“Players have got to buy into what the club wants to do, you know, they’re not going to just jump straight into the Champions League. I’m pretty sure that will be one of the main targets for the football club [however] with the owners having such wealth.

“That will certainly be a key thing. Where they want to be at is that they’re playing in Europe because that’s where the club should be at.”

While this season may come too soon, Villa are at least on the right track to becoming a competitive side again.

Last season, Dean Smith’s side ran Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City close in the Carabao Cup final, narrowly losing out in a 2-1 defeat at Wembley. That, and their league position this term, gives reason to be optimistic.

Leeds United have been handed a major transfer update in their pursuit of Rangers star Ryan Kent.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer revealed that the Gers had rejected a bid from Marcelo Bielsa’s side for the winger, and it now appears that a move won’t happen this time around either.

According to Football Insider, Leeds are set to move on from the £7.2m-rated ace and will pursue other players from their list of transfer targets.

The report adds that a new versatile wide forward is one of their top targets, although “it remains to be seen if Kent is willing to discuss an extension to his Rangers contract.”

Leeds must reconsider

After a failed move to Elland Road last summer, Kent has knuckled down this season to produce a very impressive campaign for the Gers, helping them to wrestle control of the Scottish Premiership away from Celtic.

The winger has produced a fine haul of 12 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, including netting in both Europa League knockout games against Royal Antwerp back in February.

The 24-year-old has earned rave reviews for his displays, not least from teammate Conor Goldson, who hailed him as “magnificent” and said: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

And, Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England under-17 level, said: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good. But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

Labelled a “constant threat” by Gers boss Steven Gerrard, Kent seemingly has everything to be a real success at Leeds, and exactly why the likes of Bielsa and the club’s transfer committee should potentially reconsider their transfer stance on him.

With Raphinha already showing the kind of damage one winger can do, having Kent on the opposite flank could give the Whites an incredible tandem to unleash on opposition defences.

Full of pace, trickery and end product, the £20k-a-week earning Kent should surely be a must-sign.

Meanwhile, Leeds are interested in signing this “Rolls-Royce of a player”…

Newcastle United are reportedly in pole position to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal – if they do not get relegated from the Premier League.

That is according to journalist Mark Douglas, writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, who claims that the on-loan Arsenal man has made a good impression on the coaching staff and has enjoyed his time so far at St James’ Park.

Newcastle should sign Willock if possible

The opportunities for Willock at the Emirates Stadium may continue to be limited if he returns to Mikel Arteta’s team, meaning that there may be an incentive for the Gunners to cash in on what is still a young player with a lot of potential.

If Newcastle manage to avoid being relegated to the Championship, then they could well pounce for the youngster.

Willock has settled in quite well in the northeast, with Magpies legend Alan Shearer even going as far as to call him ‘magnificent’ after he scored on his debut in the 3-2 home win over Southampton back in February. Also, no team-mate has recorded more tackles or interceptions per game so far this term (WhoScored).

At just 21 years of age still, the central midfielder could be a smart investment by Newcastle, providing that they manage to stay in the Premier League come the end of the season.

In other news, find out whose display against Brighton was slammed here!

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella recently and judging by his superb performance at the weekend against Genoa, he would be an excellent addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The 24-year-old is unsurprisingly attracting interest from the Premier League as he continues to star in Antonio Conte’s side, who currently sit top of Serie A.

So far this season, the Italian international has made 24 appearances in the Italian top-flight, contributing three goals and five assists, resulting in an impressive 7.09 average rating.

Since joining Inter from Cagliari on a permanent deal in the summer transfer window, after impressing on loan last season, the young midfielder has seen his value soar, with Transfermarkt now valuing him at a hefty £49.5 million.

Barella was at his best once again at the weekend in a 3-0 win against Genoa, with SofaScore awarding him an 8.2 match rating for his performance, which was only bettered by Romelu Lukaku, whose goal and assist earned him an 8.4 rating.

The midfielder was regularly involved throughout his time on the pitch, completing 44/52 passes from midfield, whilst also hitting the crossbar with an excellent curling effort.

However, it was the quality of his passes which perhaps best emphasise just how good Barella can be, as he contributed as many as seven key passes during the game – four more than any other player on the pitch.

In that sense, the Italian maestro was allowed to run the show at the San Siro, with his quality clearly proving to be too much for Davide Ballardini’s side to handle.

Barella certainly looks as if he could handle the physical demands of the Premier League too, as he won 6/8 of his duels during the game, which shows that despite him only being five foot eight, he is not afraid to get stuck in.

Following the game, former England manager Fabio Capello suggested that Barella is in the top three midfielders in European football at the moment, and therefore it seems fair to suggest that he could be a quality addition at Liverpool.

If Barella continues to play as he did in this latest exceptional display, the German manager should do everything he can to bring him to Anfield this summer.

And, in other news… LFC signing gem with “extraordinary quality” would surely spell the end for £50k-p/w dud

Leeds United have identified a potential summer signing in Ivan Toney but face competition to acquire the player if they do make a serious offer.

The latest on Toney

According to TEAMtalk, Brentford are ready to slap a £30m asking price on star striker Ivan Toney, with Arsenal, Leeds and West Ham all keen.

The 24-year-old joined the Bees last summer in a deal worth just over £5m from League One Peterborough to replace Ollie Watkins, who has shone in his first campaign in the Premier League.

This would be a great coup for Leeds

The Englishman has truly set the Championship alight, playing 33 times in the division and scoring 25 goals whilst also picking up nine assists along the way (WhoScored). His stats show how much of an attacking threat he poses as he has averages 2.8 shots and 1.1 key passes per game in 2020/21.

Toney, who was once hailed as a “gem” by his former Peterborough manager Steve Evans, looks like he will break the 30-goal mark this season; and despite him having a large price tag in £30m, it feels like he is worth that type of money.

He is still young and should have the scope to grow into an even better forward when he reaches his prime. That other clubs in the Premier League are also interested in him highlights his quality, and this could be a huge signing for Leeds to work alongside the in-form Patrick Bamford.

In other news, Danny Mills fumes at this Leeds player’s agent!

Flocking to an official West Ham United post, plenty of Irons supporters were in awe of star midfielder Tomas Soucek after the club relayed news of his brilliant international hat-trick for the Czech Republic on Wednesday night.

The 26-year-old, who has arguably been manager David Moyes’ signing of the season, took his fine form abroad as he helped to dismantle European minnows Estonia.

Soucek enjoyed a lethal evening as his nation got off to a fine World Cup qualifying start, opening his account just 32 minutes into the game and adding two more strikes soon afterwards – cementing a well deserved hat trick in the resounding 6-2 victory.

West Ham United, in response, let Irons supporters know of Soucek’s masterclass against Estonia – resulting in plenty of Hammers fans worshipping the midfielder.

Coming just after he was named Czech Footballer of the Year, it’s safe to say he’s enjoying a fine campaign.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans hail Soucek in club post response

“Sensational Soucek”

Credit: @IronessWest

“What a bargain he has turned out to be”

Credit: @allthingsirons

“Wow he’s just so good”

Credit: @nathware10

“Unreal”

Credit: @TheWestHamVault

“signing of the season”

Credit: @hammers_dave

“Different class”

Credit: @WHU_Nathan

“Best midfielder in the world”

Credit: @WHUNath8

In other news: West Ham fans were also lived at GSB, find out why here.

These Glasgow Rangers fans are absolutely delighted by the news that Nathan Patterson has signed a new contract with the club.

Tuesday was a busy day for the Ibrox outfit. First, the Gers confirmed that Scott Wright had signed a pre-contract deal with the club (rangers.co.uk), with him set to move to the 54-time Scottish champions at the end of the season. Then, it was revealed that Glenn Middleton will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at St. Johnstone.

Then, they also announced that Patterson has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2024. The 19-year-old has appeared four times under Steven Gerrard so far this campaign (Transfermarkt), and he may have a big future at Rangers in the coming years.

The fans were clearly delighted, and they took to the club’s tweet to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Patterson news below

“Today is scenes on toast”

Credit: @reecejo95908865

“Magic”

Credit: @S0N0FWILLIAM

“Outstanding news.”

Credit: @Liamj1Lj

“Tremendous news”

Credit: @StevenW77751462

“Brilliant news. Quality player. Love the way he zips the ball into feet.”

Credit: @GrahamDoolan1

In other news, Rangers fans want this man to leave Ibrox.

Leicester City will prepare to take on Tottenham Hotspur in what could be a title-challenging fixture this afternoon as they travel to north London. As it stands, Spurs are just one point ahead of the Foxes and a win today would be a huge boost in their mission to chase down reigning champions Liverpool in another underdog season.

Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Timothy Castagne has been training with the senior team and is in contention to start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

After suffering a tough defeat against Everton, Leicester will be hungry for a win to get themselves back on track. Here’s how Football FanCast has predicted them to line up this afternoon…

If Castagne starts today, he will have a big ask on his hands as he will need to defend against Son Heung-min, who is in red hot form at the moment. The right-back has been out of action for seven matches with an injury, making just five appearances in his maiden season (via Transfermarkt).

But deploying him on the right of a back three will allow James Justin and Christian Fuchs to start further up the pitch to not just support the defence, but contribute to the attack as well.

This means there’ll be no space for Nampalys Mendy seeing as Jonny Evans will return to the lineup, meaning Wilfred Ndidi can slot back into the midfield. He will be accompanied by Youri Tielemans, who will be relied on to pull the strings in the engine room and hope to start up some positive moves against Spurs.

Up front, Rodgers might decide to scrap £94,000 per week loan signing Cengiz Under, who was disappointing in his Premier League start against Everton last time out. Instead, usual winger combination James Maddison and Harvey Barnes can work together to support Jamie Vardy.

With Liverpool now topping the table by six points, a win for Leicester could see them leapfrog behind them into second place.

In other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

Leeds United are set to face a real battle in the race to sign Reading starlet Michael Olise in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side are interested in landing the £7.2m-rated talent this month, but The Daily Mirror’s latest update on Olise’s future may have handed the Whites a major blow.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Aston Villa are now also eyeing up a potential move for the 19-year-old, and that Dean Smith is keen to add more younger players to his first-team squad, and has been given the green light to make some major moves in the transfer market.

Radrizzani must cough up

Given Olise’s performances this season for the Royals, it’s no surprise to see plenty of clubs lining up to try and sign him. He’s bagged four goals and provided an impressive eight assists in just 24 games this campaign, and with his ability to play anywhere behind the striker, could give Bielsa another attacking weapon.

His teammate at Reading, Sam Baldock, said early last year: “Michael is a real talent, he’ll get on the ball in any situation. He’s fearless, if you ask him today I’ll guarantee that he had no nerves. He’s a lively character and one who I’ve noticed a real change in the last couple of months.”

Given his age, there’s real potential for Olise to go far, and nabbing him at a low price now would gift Leeds an incredible asset both in terms of what he could offer on the pitch, and how much he could sell for down the line.

Andrea Radrizzani must surely consider coughing up the money Reading want for him now, and making sure that Villa or any other club don’t swoop in under their noses. It would be a nightmare for the Whites if Olise turned into a superstar elsewhere and they look back on the moment they snubbed a move for him.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Leeds United are eyeing a summer transfer move for Stade Brest 29 left-back Romain Perraud.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had a quiet transfer window in January, with the Leeds boss choosing to stick with the same squad that has served him well thus far upon the Whites’ return to the Premier League.

But, attentions already seem to be turning towards their recruitment plans for the summer, with Hay revealing that the 23-year-old Perraud is someone who the club are genuinely interested in.

He adds that Brest were not willing to entertain any offers in the window just gone by, and that whilst they extended his contract just last week, Leeds will “consider tabling a formal offer for him once the season ends”.

He’s perfect for Bielsa

With the issues that Leeds have had over the past few seasons in trying to find a genuine, specialist left-back, it’s no surprise they’ve got their sights set on a summer move for one.

And in Perraud, they would be getting someone who appears to be tailor-made for Bielsa’s style of play at Elland Road. The 23-year-old is as dynamic as they come, with his heatmap from Sofascore showing someone who spends just as much time deep inside the opposition half as he does inside his own.

The Frenchman is a major threat going forward, bagging three goals and providing five assists in just 21 Ligue 1 games this season – in fact, his total of assists is the highest of any defender in the French thus far.

In fact, Hay himself wrote that Perraud “shows characteristics which would meet Bielsa requirements: a creative edge and a high number of dribbles and shots for a player at his position, combined with a very active role in pressing defensively.”

The £7.2m-rated gem could very well be the answer to Bielsa’s left-back question.