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Aston Villa are already looking at a summer move for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Late bid for Hickey

Villa got their January business completed relatively early, with Calum Chambers the last of four senior additions to join Steven Gerrard last month.

There were no deadline day twists at Bodymoor Heath when it comes to incomings, although there were rumours that Villa launched a €10m (£8.35m) bid for Hickey which included a 20% sell-on clause. Bologna turned down that proposal, but it seems as if Villa will go back in for the Scottish teenager at the end of the season.

The Latest: Preece’s claim

Preece ran a Q&A on Birmingham Live in the final hours of the transfer window and he was quizzed about the club’s left-back ranks following Matt Targett’s loan move to Newcastle, revealing that Villa are already ‘looking’ at a move for Hickey.

The journalist outlined: “It’ll be Digne and Young from now until May with no recall option in Targett’s deal. Villa looking to go back in for Hickey in the summer.”

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Hickey, who has been likened to Gareth Bale, is known for his athleticism and pace and appears to be a future star. He has also been linked with Manchester City, so securing his services ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side could be a major coup for Villa.

Since leaving Hearts for Bologna, the 19-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed from £540,000 to £11.7m, and he has also played as a left midfielder in 2021/22, earning vital experience in Serie A on top of his previous outings in the Scottish Premiership.

On that basis, securing a summer move for him and midfield target Yves Bissouma could be a brilliant decision by Villa in the long run, possibly making Hickey the perfect eventual successor to Lucas Digne in years to come.

In other news: Villa may now sign ‘unbelievably talented’ midfielder in cut-price move despite transfer window shutting

As per 90min, Tottenham Hotspur and other Premier League suitors have been gifted a ‘huge advantage’ in the race to sign Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

It is well-known that Spurs’ managing director Fabio Paratici has his eye on the 21-year-old ahead of January, coming after a move failed to materialise in the last transfer window.

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Tottenham had Vlahovic in their sights at one point over the summer amid their search for a Harry Kane alternative (The Telegraph) and it appears their interest has far from waned.

Antonio Conte’s arrival has only heightened reports of a possible move to Spurs given his pull in Serie A, with La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) even claiming that a meeting was recently held.

The Latest: Spurs gifted ‘huge advantage’…

As per 90min, Tottenham and other interested Premier League clubs have just been handed a boost in the race for Vlahovic. Indeed, according to their information, La Viola president Rocco Commisso would ‘ideally rather sell to England’ given their bad blood with Juventus over the transfer of Federico Chiesa.

This could gift Tottenham, as well as the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Newcastle, a ‘huge advantage’ as they keep watch of the 21-year-old.

Furthermore, 90min claimed that Vlahovic’s agents were in England ‘this month’ for talks and to assure interested parties that the Serbian had not agreed a move to Turin.

The Verdict: Get it d0ne…

As the Premier League race heats up with many clubs interested, we believe that signing Vlahovic should come as a real priority got Spurs given their lack of a senior alternative striking option to Kane.

The Serbia international has been a revelation this season, following on from his hugely impressive 21-goal Serie A haul over 2020/21. Bagging 12 goals and three assists in all competitions so far already, Vlahovic’s form is only matched by his plaudits.

Valeri Bojinov, a former Bulgaria international and one-time Manchester City striker, called the youngster ‘crazy’ and lifted the lid on his self-comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Indeed, Vlahovic could have the panache and quality desperately needed for Conte’s new-look Tottenham team.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with ‘biggest offer’ on the table, find out more here.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is considering a move to bring Julian Alvarez to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Luke Hatfield, with the Express & Star journalist revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, amid Aston Villa’s links with a move for the River Plate centre-forward, Gerrard and the transfer team at Villa Park are indeed keeping a very close eye on the 21-year-old ahead of a potential January swoop.

Speaking about Villa’s interest in the Argentina international, Hatfield said: “He’s a young player, he started this season fantastically and he’s a player who’s a bit versatile as well – he can play up front, he can play on the wing – so he’s a player that I’m sure Villa will have an eye on.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how much potential Julian Alvarez quite clearly possesses, the news that Aston Villa are indeed considering a move for the striker this winter is sure to have left fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over his 19 Liga Profesional appearances so far this season, the £18m-rated man has scored a remarkable 17 goals, registered seven assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well taking an average of 3.3 shots and making two key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Golazo Argentino dubbed a “phenomenon” average an extraordinary SofaScore match rating of 7.82, ranking him not only as Marcelo Gallardo’s best performer in the league but also as the best player in the Argentine top flight as a whole.

As such, the prospect of Alvarez linking up with the likes of Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey in Aston Villa’s front three is an incredibly exciting one indeed.

The potential signing of the 21-year-old – who is reported to be available for €25m (£21m) due to a release clause in his contract at River Plate – would also send a very clear message to the rest of the Premier League that Gerrard and Villa are serious contenders for European qualification come next May.

In other news: Aston Villa handed potentially huge boost ahead of City clash, fans will be buzzing

Sharing his information via The West Ham Way website, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has backed some reports out of the club as they eye Lille striker Jonathan David.

The Lowdown: West Ham linked…

Claims have emerged involving the red hot Ligue 1 forward over this last week as West Ham become touted with a possible move.

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Calciomercato were the first to mention David Moyes’ side, going on to claim that the player himself is open to joining the club and ‘likes’ the idea of signing for West Ham.

Meanwhile, Fichajes say that interest is very much reciprocated from the side of the Hammers as Moyes looks to strengthen his attacking options.

The Latest: Ex backs reports…

Sharing information via The West Ham Way website, ExWHUemployee backed reports that West Ham are interested in the Canada international – but insists that many other sides will also be keeping tabs.

He namedrops Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal specifically whilst putting the Hammers’ odds of signing David as fairly slim by comparison.

The Verdict: Would be sensational…

If Moyes could somehow jump ahead of the stiff competition and land the £45 million-valued man, it’s safe to say that recruitment chief Rob Newman would be pulling off a masterclass.

The ‘elite striker’ has been attracting major plaudits for his form in France this season with Ligue 1 football expert Adam White even likening him to Luis Suarez (The Guardian).

Elsewhere, Combate Global commentator Maximiliano Bretos branded the 21-year-old ‘phenomenal’ for his exploits on the international stage. Scoring 15 goals already in all competitions for Lille, it’s little wonder he is so highly sought after.

In other news: ‘Can’t wait’, ‘Best news today’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘amazing’ update has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

James Rodriguez claims he will be back fit for Everton’s next Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace, saying “I’ll play again for the next game” during a Twitch stream.

The £27million-rated (Transfermarkt) Colombian has missed the last four league games through injury and was also absent for Saturday’s FA Cup quarterfinal defeat against Manchester City.

Everton have suffered back-to-back league losses without the former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich man, falling five points back from the top four.

Relief for Everton as Rodriguez says he’s ‘very well’

But Rodriguez, speaking on a Twitch stream, delivered a welcome update for Everton fans.

“I’ll play again for the next game,” he said, as quoted by native outlet Caracol. “I’m very well, thank God, and I want to play again.”

The 29-year-old had explained to viewers earlier this month that he had been feeling ‘discomfort for many months’ before he was withdrawn from the side.

Rodriguez has scored has been directly involved in 13 goals in all competitions since his arrival last summer (five goals, eight assists).

He tops the Everton rankings for key passes per game (1.7) and is in the top four for successful dribbles, crosses, long balls and through balls (via WhoScored).

Transfer Tavern verdict

Everton have taken short-term pain without Rodriguez, but they will hope for long-term gain in the form of a injury-free run to the end of the season after his recovery period.

They still won’t quite be at full-strength, though, with Abdoulaye Doucoure sidelined indefinitely by a foot injury. Doucoure had started all but one game before sustaining the fracture.

Nonetheless, having their most creative player back in the team will be a big boost for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

In other news, Everton have reportedly made this defender their top summer target.

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer knocked back the idea of Carlos Carvalhal returning to Hillsborough in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Carvalhal, who managed Wednesday from 2015-2017, revealed he would like to return to the Yorkshire club one day and can see it happening.

The Portuguese coach is currently in charge of Braga and has a contract at the Portuguese outfit until 2022, meaning who could soon be available again. Palmer, though, is not too sure about a homecoming for the former Owls boss.

When asked whether he would like to see Carvalhal return to the Hillsborough dugout, the ex-Wednesday player told FFC:

“Well, Carlos did well, I mean, did really well. I mean, they went to the play-off final with Carlos and then into the play-offs [the following season]. So, yeah, never say never. But I always think once you’ve moved on, you’ve moved on. Do you know what I mean? Even Sir Alex Ferguson going back to Manchester United wouldn’t be the same. I think once you’ve moved on, you’ve moved on.”

Carvalhal certainly did a good job during his time at Wednesday, leading the Owls to the 2015-16 Championship play-off final, where they narrowly missed out to Hull City in a 1-0 loss at Wembley.

The 55-year-old was also able to take Wednesday to the play-offs the following season, this time losing out at the semi-final stage to Huddersfield Town.

Since then, Carvalhal has gone on to manage Swansea City and Braga, adding to an extensive CV that also features the likes of Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas and Istanbul Basaksehir.

Celtic underwent a massive overhaul during the previous summer transfer window by bringing in several players, as well as moving many out of the Parkhead club.

After then seeing some more players move around in January, Ange Postecoglou has been able to take his side six points clear at the top of the SPFL table with just a handful of games left to play.

With the next summer window on the horizon, it’ll be interesting to see how the Hoops follow up their previous transfer windows this time around.

One deal that should be at the top of the club’s priority list is to turn Jota’s loan deal into a permanent one.

Having signed from Portuguese club Benfica on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign, the winger has been a solid addition to Postecoglou’s squad.

With 36 appearances under his belt across all competitions, the attacker has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists along the way.

To highlight how much of an attacking threat he has been on the pitch for the Hoops, Jota currently has the highest number of crosses made (203) in the SPFL than any of his teammates.

He also has the second-highest number of shots on target (25) behind Liel Abada (37).

In addition to his consistent attacking prowess, his overall performances have been rather eye-catching as he is currently listed as the highest-rated player in the Celtic squad with a rating of 7.59/10 from WhoScored.

Praised for his “outstanding” performances for the Bhoys by Postecoglou, it’s safe to say that the 56-year-old is a big fan of the winger and would be delighted to see him remain at the club beyond his current loan deal.

The Hoops reportedly have an optional purchase fee of £6.5m to keep Jota at the club, which was labelled as being a “mouth-watering prospect” for the Hoops by Noel Whelan.

With all of this in mind, it seems as though the 23-year-old has already done enough to warrant the club splashing out that money and keeping him where he is.

Moving forward, if the Bhoys can secure the league title in the coming weeks and then manage to secure Jota on a permanent deal, this would surely have plenty of Hoops fans bouncing.

In other news: Ange can raise the roof at Parkhead as Celtic plot “huge” move for “immense” £10m gem

Mark Noble lit up the stage as West Ham United beat Doncaster Rovers 4-0 to book their place in the FA Cup fifth round and secure a trip to either Liverpool or Manchester United.

Strikes from Pablo Fornals and Andriy Yarmolenko gifted David Moyes’ side a controlling lead in the first-half, before an unfortunate own goal from Andy Butler and a late hit from Oladapo Afolayan ensured the London Stadium natives would avoid an upset at home to their League One opposition.

The Hammers rarely looked likely to stumble in their Saturday afternoon showdown, as they extended their fine run of form to five-straight wins across all competitions. It is also the first time since winning six-in-a-row back in 2012 that the Premier League outfit have won five on the bounce.

Moyes recalled Noble to his midfield for the FA Cup tie as he sought to afford Declan Rice a rare break, with the England international having started all but two of West Ham’s previous fixtures this season and each since September’s Carabao Cup victory over Hull City.

Noble has rarely featured in any competition this term, with the £4m-rated veteran’s starting role only his sixth inclusion in an opening line-up over 12 appearances to date, in what is likely to be his final season in professional football.

Moyes’ decision never seemed questionable with Noble offering a calm head in possession to help dictate the flow of play, and often dropping between centre-halves Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop to allow full-backs Ben Johnson and Ryan Fredericks to push forward.

Noble’s vision frequently carved Doncaster apart, too, with the £50,000-per-week maestro providing an array of delicate and precise passes to either play his Irons teammates through or stretch the visiting Donny side.

It was additionally Noble’s right-wing corner that led to Butler inadvertently sending the ball over Ellery Balcombe’s line, while causing problems with his dangerous play in the closing stages as West Ham never let their foot off the throttle.

Noble ultimately ended the fourth round win over Doncaster Rovers having taken a colossal game-high 162 touches – 62 more than the next-best efforts of Johnson, per WhoScored.

He also played significantly more passes than any other player for either side, with a match-high 154 total attempts – Manuel Lanzini ranked second with 82. Of his passes, Noble completed 148 for a 96% success rate, including playing one of West Ham’s 14 key balls after feeding Lanzini to shoot on the stroke of half-time.

Noble has previously been criticised for taking “too many” touches by Irons icon Frank McAvennie, who suggested the 33-year-old had begun to hold Rice back with his time spent in possession.

That was never the case beside Tomas Soucek in the FA Cup, with Noble playing with his head up to carry play forward from the back and ensure West Ham remained on the front foot on a day they rarely had to get out of first gear.

Doncaster found Noble a tough object to avoid when in possession, though, as he attempted a joint-game-high three tackles and registered two interceptions, for the same total defensive output as Moyes witnessed Balbuena produce.

Noble’s efforts may not see that he earns a start when West Ham visit London rivals Crystal Palace on Tuesday, but his performance proved there’s more than just a little bit of life left in the old dog yet.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Pundit drops verdict on West Ham’s interest in a lethal striker adored by a Moyes favourite.

Celtic look set to lose striker Odsonne Edouard this summer, with Leicester City thought to be closing in on the French forward.

The Lowdown: Edouard wants out

Reports last month suggested that the 23-year-old, who will have 12 months remaining on his deal in the summer, has his sights set on a Parkhead exit and won’t change his mind in regards to a new Hoops boss.

The Foxes are thought to be confident of landing Edouard this summer, beating Liverpool and West Ham in the race for his services.

Celtic reportedly want to receive around £20m for the striker, and just how much the Hoops will need to hand over to Paris Saint-Germain has now been revealed.

The Latest: Sell-on clause update

Reports over the last 12 months have suggested Celtic would need to give 40% or 50% of any deal to the French giants after they signed Edouard for over £9m in 2018.

However, according to the Daily Record, Parkhead chiefs need to give PSG 50% of any profit they make on the striker.

So, should a £20m deal go through for Edouard, Celtic would need to give PSG half of the £11m profit – £5.5m.

The Verdict: Bittersweet news for McKay

In our opinion, this isn’t the worst news for new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay.

It would’ve been better if it was 40% on any profit, but at least it isn’t a percentage on the whole fee. If it was, Celtic could have had to write a cheque for £10m to PSG, and that would put a huge dent in the kitty McKay and a new Director of Football would have to rebuild the squad.

Edouard’s representatives believed that an £8-10m exit from Celtic Park was achievable just last month, so really, if the Hoops can bank £14.5m after the sell-on clause, that could turn out to be great news given the circumstances.

In other news: Intriguing Patryk Klimala update emerges, find out more here. 

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Ross Barkley should snap up the chance to return to Everton should the opportunity present itself this summer.

The England midfielder, who’s currently on loan at Aston Villa, left Goodison Park for Chelsea back in 2017, but has never been seen as a key player during his time in the capital.

He was favoured by Maurizio Sarri, but then restricted to a bit-part role under Frank Lampard, with a move to Villa Park used as a chance to help the midfielder rediscover his best form.

But besides an impressive run, which included goals against Liverpool and Leicester during the early stages of his loan spell, Barkley has found himself out of Dean Smith’s team.

Barkley will return to Chelsea this summer in a bid to try and impress Thomas Tuchel, but his Stamford Bridge career would appear to be hanging in the balance.

And former Everton striker Bent told Football FanCast that the 27-year-old could make a huge difference to the Toffees squad:

“Ross Barkley, for me, when he came through, and still is, an absolute talent, the problem being is that he hasn’t stabilised a spot at any team.

“If he were to go back to Everton, and I’ve spoken to Everton and they’re lacking that in midfield. He’s got skill on the ball, he’s like a Stevie G.

“He went to Chelsea at a young age and hasn’t done it, so going back to Everton, this is a chance to go home and get at a club that he knows well. The fans love him.”