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Ashley Preece is ‘expecting’ Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey to return against Wolves on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Bailey’s injury

The 24-year-old actually injured himself when he scored his first goal for Villa following his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen. The Jamaican suffered a thigh strain against Everton and missed games with Manchester United and Tottenham as a result.

Villa were targeting a return following the international break against Wolves this weekend, and Preece believes that it could be on the cards.

The Latest: Preece’s tweet

Reliable reporter Preece took to Twitter on Monday evening to inform supporters of Bertrand Traore’s latest injury.

He was asked by one fan for any news on Bailey, to which he replied: “I’m expecting him to play some part on Saturday, Smith might not want to risk him from the start. We’ll wait and see. Due a team news update later this week.”

Preece’s post appeared to go under the radar, with just one retweet and four likes as of Tuesday morning.

The Verdict: Good news

Even if Dean Smith doesn’t risk Bailey from the start on Saturday and places him on the bench, it will still give Villa a big boost for the game against their Midlands rivals.

Bailey has already shown what he can do off the bench at Villa Park, and another starring cameo display this weekend could make all the difference if it is a tight match.

Hopefully he will be in and around the matchday squad on Saturday, but if he isn’t fully fit, he shouldn’t be risked.

In other news: Smith looking to pip Arteta again as Aston Villa eye move for ace who has the same agency as Mings

Southampton travel away to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as they look to end a run of three straight draws in the Premier League.

The Saints are currently sat on three points after four games and are still looking for their first win of the league campaign, with a trip to the champions next up for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

West Ham held the south coast outfit to a 0-0 draw in their last league outing, with Southampton starting with a 4-1-4-1 formation instead of their usual 4-2-2-2.

How many changes will Ralph make? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side, with Ibrahima Diallo, Kyle Walker-Peters and Che Adams coming in.

Starting with Diallo, we are predicting £59k-per-week beast Oriol Romeu to drop out to give the Frenchman an opportunity to impress. The Spaniard was taken off in the 53rd minute against the Hammers for the 22-year-old to come on, having given possession away eight times in the first half, completing 75% of his passes. That substitution may have given an insight into his team selection for this game, with Diallo potentially starting ahead of the ex-Chelsea man.

Valentino Livramento has started all four of Southampton’s Premier League matches this season, but it could be time to give the teenager a rest. He lost six of his eight duels against West Ham and gave possession away 17 times, whilst making zero tackles or interceptions.

This suggests that it could be the perfect opportunity to hand him a rest and start the more experienced Walker-Peters. The 24-year-old started 30 Premier League matches last season and averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.84, showing that he knows how to perform consistently at this level. This is why he should come in and start ahead of Livramento for this clash.

Finally, in a change which will see the return of the 4-2-2-2, we are predicting that Adams will come into the side to replace Djenepo. The Mali international played out wide on the left last week, with Mo Elyounoussi in central midfield, and this change sees the latter go out wide with Adams partnering Armstrong up front.

We published an article on Friday explaining exactly why Adams should be unleashed against Manchester City, with his Premier League record in general, and indeed against today’s opponents, taken into account.

AND in other news, Hasenhuttl provides fresh Southampton setback update which could frustrate supporters…

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on their FIFA 22 player ratings.

As shared in screenshots by Wolves Esports, the official ratings for all of the squad in the video game have now been confirmed ahead of its release.

The Midlands club have received more downgrades than upgrades in terms of their FIFA 21 ratings, most notably Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore decreasing in rating.

However, Pedro Neto and Yerson Mosquera have seen their ratings increase significantly, while there are also some new faces for the Molineux faithful to enjoy.

Nonetheless, it seems as if a lot of WWFC supporters have been left very unhappy at the overall ratings, with Jimenez the highest-rated at 83.

To put this into context, Lionel Messi is rated at 93, the highest in the game.

Wolves fans on FIFA 22 news

These Wanderers fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it is ‘disgraceful’:

“We’ve been scammed”

Credit: @MM6Games

“Sorry what?”

Credit: @ILJHI

“Nothing to get excited about really is it?”

Credit: @C7Burton

“Disgraceful”

Credit: @CrockfordJack

“Jokers”

Credit: @poorplatformxd

“We have been done so dirty here”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

In other news, find out who which player Wanderers are fuming at here!

West Ham United have had a very quiet transfer window so far, but that could all be about to change with less than two weeks remaining until the August 31 deadline.

What’s the story?

According to 90min, the Hammers have identified Sevilla striker Luuk de Jong as a potential target, with David Moyes desperate to add some strength in depth to his threadbare squad.

The report states that the Spanish club are prepared to let the 30-year-old depart the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan summer after agreeing a deal to sign Wolves forward Rafa Mir for a £12m fee.

GSB must sanction West Ham United swoop

After rising through the ranks at boyhood club De Graafschap Doetinchem, de Jong moved to FC Twente in 2009 and fired the club to their first and only Eredivisie title under the stewardship of former England manager Steve McClaren.

A Dutch Cup followed as the 6 ft 1 forward bagged 59 goals and provided 36 assists in just 120 appearances for the overachieving minnows. His incredible performances for Twente earned him a move to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, but he struggled to adapt to the pace of German football.

After making just 17 top-flight starts in 18 months for Monchengladbach, a short-term loan move to Newcastle United failed to rejuvenate the Netherlands international as he failed to score in 12 outings for the Magpies.

However, a return to his homeland with PSV Eindhoven in 2014 saw de Jong revert to his scintillating best, inspiring the club to two league titles during his five-year stay, with 112 goals and 56 assists in 204 games.

The £9m-rated hitman tried his luck in one of Europe’s top leagues once again in 2019, and his winning touch transferred to the Spanish giants.

Although he struggled to find the back of the net on a regular basis throughout his first campaign with the club, de Jong stepped up in the Europa League final, scoring two headers as the Rojiblancos overcame Inter in the final.

His heroics earned him a place in the club’s folklore, with Spanish outlet AS claiming he that can no longer do wrong in Seville: “He struggled with his productivity all season, but not in the final. These kinds of things make football beautiful. His goals make de Jong an eternal hero,” they wrote.

However, the well-travelled frontman appears to be on the move once again, and West Ham’s owners GSB must sanction a move for the Dutchman.

Michail Antonio is currently the only recognised striker in Moyes’ first team squad, and with his dodgy injury record and the added Europa League fixtures, West Ham will need extra reinforcements up top if they are to challenge on multiple fronts.

With de Jong excelling at holding the ball up and bringing others into play, his attributes would offer Moyes a different option in the final third of the pitch and could perfectly complement the likes of Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals in behind.

At this moment in time, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola is the capital club’s only summer acquisition, something which must change before the window shuts, and de Jong’s possible arrival would be a good way to make up for lost time.

In other news…West Ham handed huge transfer boost over “special” 29-cap beast, fans surely buzzing 

Nottingham Forest have been handed a major boost in their bid to keep Brennan Johnson at the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Daniel Taylor’s report for The Athletic, with the journalist claiming that Brentford have all but ended their pursuit of the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, as the Premier League side failed to tempt Forest into parting with the youngster with a number of bids – the latest of which was thought to be worth around £7m.

Taylor went on to state that Dane Murphy was not willing to sanction the sale of the Wales international unless Thomas Frank’s side offered a package worth £12m, which was comprised of a £10m upfront fee plus £2m in add-ons.

Hughton will be delighted

Considering the sheer amount of potential Johnson appears to possess, the fact that Murphy held firm on his asking price for the Forest forward will undoubtedly have delighted Chris Hughton, whose life would have been made much more difficult if the club decided to cash in on the youngster this summer.

Indeed, while the 62-year-old has seen his side get off to a disastrous start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign – having picked up a single point over their opening five-fixture of the season, leaving the Garibaldi rooted to the foot of the table – Johnson has nevertheless impressed for the club.

Indeed, over his five appearances in the league thus far, the £360k-rated man has scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 1.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Hughton’s third-best performer in the second tier.

As such, the fact that Brentford appear to have admitted defeat in their pursuit of the £2.5k-per-week forward not only looks to be good news for Forest’s Championship hopes this season, but also for the future of the club – as, if the 20-year-old continues at his current rate of development, the Reds will undoubtedly be able to command a much more substantial figure than the £12m they were looking for this season further down the line.

In other news: Dane Murphy has offer accepted for “rare” £14k-p/w beast, Forest fans will be buzzing

Shields Gazette reporter Liam Kennedy has confirmed Newcastle United are looking to sign Hamza Choudhury before the transfer window slams shut.

It appears as though the Magpies are closing in on their first signing of the summer after the club agreed a fee in excess of £20million for Arsenal’s Joe Willock.

The midfielder is set to head to St James’ Park on a permanent basis after enjoying a successful loan spell with Newcastle last season. During his temporary stay on Tyneside, Willock became the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League outings.

But Magpies boss Steve Bruce wants to strengthen his midfield further by poaching Leicester City’s Choudhury, who saw a loan move to Newcastle fall through at the end of the January transfer window.

The 23-year-old made just four Premier League starts last term and Kennedy has revealed the central midfielder remains on Bruce’s wishlist after narrowly missing out earlier this year.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “He is a player who hasn’t ever come off the wanted list. He was a hair’s breadth away from signing in January on a loan deal.

“Hamza Choudhury is a player that Steve Bruce rates and they were very close to signing. They thought it would happen but Brendan Rodgers pulled the plug in January and kept him on at Leicester.”

Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of signing Lautaro Martinez have been dealt a significant blow this week…

What’s the word?

Earlier this month, The Times reported that Spurs had agreed a £60m fee to sign the Inter Milan striker, who would be signed to partner – rather than replace – Harry Kane up front.

Over the weekend, the same outlet claimed that talks between the two parties were ‘progressing’ well with less than two weeks to go in the transfer window.

However, in a new twist, it seems that the 23-year-old talisman will remain at the San Siro for the foreseeable future after his agent dropped a fresh claim to FCInterNews.

“Lautaro wants to stay at Inter. He believes in the Nerazzurri project and aims to win another Scudetto,” he said. “A meeting with Inter is scheduled for Wednesday. We will do everything possible to stay in the Nerazzurri. Martinez is very well in Milan, he has an excellent relationship with his teammates and with the new coach.”

Gutting blow

After the Serie A champions sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, this revelation should hardly come as a surprise, though it still deals Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici a major blow.

Martinez is under contract until 2023, so the Italian giants are under no pressure to sell anytime soon.

He would’ve surely been regarded as quite the coup for Tottenham.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

As per Transfermarkt, the 28-cap Argentina international delivered 19 goals and 11 assists during their title-winning campaign, averaging a direct contribution every 108 minutes, which is ten minutes more than the record of Kane throughout his entire career in north London – that’s impressive.

Furthermore, Paratici could’ve sealed him for just £60m, which seems an absolute steal considering that he’s valued at £72m by Transfermarkt. Lukaku earned Inter around €115m (£98m) and he was just as prolific as his former teammate last term, scoring 30 times in all competitions.

Martinez’s international teammate Lionel Messi, who recently swapped Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, is a huge admirer of his.

“Lautaro is an impressive forward, especially because I think he is a very complete striker,” he told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo. “He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player, and he is showing that. He’s very strong, really good one on one, scores a lot of goals, and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own.”

At 5 foot 9 in stature, the young goal machine would’ve been the perfect foil for Kane in the attack, and considering his age, he could’ve taken the full mettle and pressure when the Englishman does eventually move on.

This stunning development will surely leave Paratici and co absolutely gutted. They’ll have to look elsewhere if they are to secure Nuno Santo that second striker he’s desperately craving.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Romero: Spurs can form scary duo by signing £55m “extraordinary talent”…

The Celtic Way reporter Anthony Haggerty believes Albian Ajeti will be rejuvenated following Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as the Scottish giants’ new manager.

Ajeti joined Celtic from Premier League side West Ham United in a £5million deal last August.

The move came after the Swiss frontman failed to score in any of his 12 appearances for the Hammers.

Ajeti also struggled to find the back of the net regularly during his first season in Glasgow as he notched six goals in 30 appearances.

However, the former Basel striker has vowed to take advantage of his second opportunity to prove himself at Celtic, which has been granted by Postecoglou.

It comes after the Bhoys missed out on top transfer target Charlie Wyke, who opted to join Wigan Athletic from Sunderland rather than heading north of the border earlier this month.

Haggerty believes the 24-year-old Ajeti could prove to be like a new signing after what was a disappointing first campaign at Celtic Park.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think Postecoglou is going to give Ajeti that chance so it’s up to him to grab it. He scored a couple of decent goals when he first broke in last August.

“It’s those consistency levels at a club like Celtic that you need. Strikers at Celtic are always judged on their goals return.

“This is another player we shelled a lot of money out for so they’re going to give him every chance to claim that jersey.”

West Ham United have entered talks to sign Kurt Zouma, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Sky Sports claim that the 26-year-old centre-back would favour a move to the Hammers as he is settled in London. Chelsea have been mooted with using the France international in a player-plus-cash swap deal for Sevilla star Jules Kounde.

It’s believed the Irons would be prepared to pay around £20m to seal Zouma but that is below the Blues’ valuation, whilst he still has two years to run on his current £65k-per-week contract.

It remains to be seen how much Chelsea are looking for, with CIES Football Observatory currently rating him at €40m (£34m).

Fans will be buzzing

With David Moyes reportedly keen to bolster his defence with a high-quality centre-back, the link to Zouma should come as no surprise, even more so with the Hammers in need of replacing Fabian Balbuena’s place in the squad.

The Frenchman’s vast experience in the top-flight, having featured 165 times in the Premier League, makes him seem like a perfect candidate to add to Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson.

Zouma rated out as Chelsea’s second-best player during the 2020/21 season, earning a 7.07 grade on WhoScored.

He averaged a squad-high 3.6 aerial duels won and 3.8 clearances per game, whilst also managing a seasonal passing success rate of 90.9%, which suggests he’s not just a defensive animal but a player who is equally deft with the ball at his feet, which will suit Moyes’ out-from-the-back system to a tee.

Blues legend John Terry once described the 26-year-old as a “beast of a player” and it’s easy to see why on the above evidence.

Furthermore, much of the London Stadium faithful are very eager to see Moyes make a move for the Chelsea star this summer, with one fan claiming that he’s a “fantastic defender” on his day and another lauding it as a “steal”, amongst many more reactions.

The fact that Zouma would be open to a switch to East London will leave them absolutely buzzing. GSB must look to get this done.

AND in other news, Moyes given big West Ham transfer boost over £36m-rated “machine”, fans surely buzzing…

Reported Rangers target Danilho Doekhi has been tipped to leave Vitesse this summer and given his performances in recent seasons, Steven Gerrard’s side should certainly be looking to bring him to Ibrox.

What’s the word?

Rangers have regularly been linked with a move for the Vitesse centre-back this summer, and it now seems as if he could well leave the Eredivisie side ahead of next season, with the club’s technical director, Johannes Spors, suggesting that they are being realistic about his future at the GelreDome this summer.

He said:

“We would like to keep Doekhi, but we also have to be realistic.

“If a top club can and want to meet his asking price, then it can be interesting.

“We don’t want Doekhi to go, but we also understand that we develop [players] at Vitesse.”

Should Rangers sign Doekhi?

Although defence is arguably where Rangers are strongest, considering they conceded just 13 goals in the Premiership last season, they would be missing out on a top-quality young centre-back in Doekhi if they fail to bring him in this summer.

The 23-year-old was a key part of the Vitesse defence who conceded just 38 goals in the Eredivise last season, as they secured a fourth-place finish in the Dutch top-flight.

Doekhi would make 32 appearances in the league, contributing one goal and one assist, averaging a solid 6.86 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Whilst he might struggle to break up a partnership of Filip Helander and Connor Goldson in Gerrard’s side next season, Leon Balogun is now 33 so they may need a long-term replacement for him, and Doekhi looks to be a brighter prospect than both George Edmundson and Jack Simpson given the experience he boasts.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Rangers transfer rumours and news!”]

Doekhi’s manager, Thomas Letsch, was full of praise for him last season, saying:

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player.”

“He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, Doekhi sounds as if he would be a superb option for Gerrard’s side next season and given the boost that the Gers have had with Spors admitting that he could leave Vitesse this summer, sporting director Ross Wilson should ensure that he ends up at Ibrox, as he looks to have a lot of potential.

And, in other news… Athletic journalist drops Rangers transfer update, Gers fans will be gutted