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Aston Villa have reportedly expressed an interest in Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo.

The Lowdown: Diallo profiled

Diallo, a Senegal international is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out as a left-back and as a holding midfielder.

The 26-year-old has been with PSG since 2019 and has made 75 appearances for the French giants, however, he is yet to feature during the current campaign.

He previously plied his trade in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Mainz, with former Mainz sporting director Rouven Schroder describing Diallo as “strong in the air and shrewd in the challenge”.

The Latest: Villa approach

According to French outlet Le Parisien, Villa have expressed an interest over a potential move for Diallo.

The player himself reportedly views a move to the Midlands with ‘good eyes’.

The Verdict: Time is ticking

Diallo is the latest defender to be linked with a move to Villa Park alongside the likes of Jason Denayer, Duje Caleta-Car, Trevoh Chalobah, Jan Bednarek and Japhet Tanganga.

A new centre-back is needed following a serious injury to Diego Carlos, but time is ticking with the transfer deadline fast approaching.

Diallo could well be keen on working under Steven Gerrard due to his lack of game time in France. He’d also provide cover in a number of areas, something that could give him the edge over other Villa centre-back targets.

Arsenal remain keen on a long-term target after journalist Ryan Taylor dropped a fresh update on the situation…

What’s the word?

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Express reporter revealed to fans that the Gunners remain interested in Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino despite making seemingly little progress over the summer.

The 19-year-old still has five years left on his £48k-per-week deal, however, this update suggests that despite his hefty €80m (£67m) release clause he may still be an option for Edu and Mikel Arteta.

Taylor claimed:

“Another player that has been monitored is Yeremi Pino, but there’s nothing concrete. There are some suggestions that Arsenal have made a bid but that is definitely not the case.

“He’s been scouted and monitored and he’s very much on that radar at the moment. From what we understand Villarreal would be willing to pursue a sale for far less than his release clause.”

He could be Cazorla 2.0

The man who started his career with the Yellow Submarine only to re-join them after his stint at Arsenal, Santi Cazorla became something of a cult hero across his 180 appearances at the Emirates.

Revered for his flawless technical ability paired with an incredible work rate, the Spaniard typified the back end of Arsene Wenger’s managerial career, and Arteta could finally have found his replacement in Pino.

The teenager has featured an astounding 57 times in the league for Villarreal given his age, managing a respectable ten goals and five assists, most of which came last season.

It seems that he has finally started to combine the numbers with his effort levels after Scouted Football once dubbed him a “hard-working and selfless winger” but also “a sharp short passer”.

Cazorla was always lauded for his ability despite his diminutive 5 foot 5 frame, and in his 29 goals and 45 assists for Arsenal, he is outlined as someone who offered more to the team with his presence and work rate than his actual goal and assists output.

Pino could do similarly, with the “special talent” adding another hard-working player to Arteta’s ranks, making way for the reportedly outgoing Nicholas Pepe.

With the youngster having already been capped by Spain, he shows a maturity far beyond his years. Spanish football expert Alvaro Romeo actually claimed:

“He reminds me of [Santi] Cazorla.

“He’s fast, not very fast, but fast enough to play on the wing. He’s skilful, his ball control is very good, his passing is decent, and he must improve his crossing.”

Whilst Romeo sees Pino’s future in midfield, Arteta will certainly be hoping to tempt his compatriot to consider his future at Arsenal as he fills the Cazorla role that has been vacant for all too long.

When Leeds United sold Pontus Jansson for a figure in the region of £5.5m to then-Championship rivals Brentford back in the summer of 2019, many at Elland Road must have been wondering why the Whites had sanctioned such a deal.

Indeed, the centre-back had consistently been one of the club’s best performers following his move from Torino in 2016, averaging seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 7.44 in 2016/17, 7.09 in 2017/18 and 7.16 in 2018/19 – ranking him as Leeds’ best, best and third-best performer in each respective Championship campaign.

This was a trend that continued following the Sweden international’s departure, with Jansson playing a key role in Brentford’s run to the play-off final in 2019/20 – in which the Bees narrowly missed out on promotion after a 2-1 AET defeat to Fulham – as well as starring in the club’s promotion-winning campaign the following year – this time besting Swansea in the play-off final.

And, following Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League, the £6.3m-rated defender quickly proved that has the ability to thrive in the top flight, scoring three goals and helping his side keep seven clean sheets over 37 appearances in 2021/22, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 5.0 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

These returns saw the player who Frank dubbed both “immense” and a “threat” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.86, ranking him as Brentford’s 10th-best performer as the club secured an incredibly respectable 13th place finish in their first ever Premier League campaign.

As such, while the £31k-per-week talent himself claimed back in 2019 that Leeds sold him in order to help balance their books – despite other reports claiming that the reason for his sale was that Marcelo Bielsa simply did not get on with the Swede – considering just how much success the Brentford captain has enjoyed since his departure, Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani must rue selling the 31-year-old when they did.

Indeed, should the Whites have held onto the defender a little while longer, the club would have likely received a much bigger fee from his sale following their own promotion to the Premier League in the campaign following his sale – with Leicester City, Newcastle United and Everton having all been linked with a move for the defender in January of this year.

West Ham United manager David Moyes has shared an update as exciting young defender Harrison Ashby returns to the grass after injury.

The Lowdown: Ashby exit on the cards?

The 20-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a move away from east London, coming after Premier League rivals Newcastle United reportedly held an interest in signing him before the transfer window closed.

Ashby has just under 12 months remaining on his current West Ham deal, and while owners GSBK (Gold, Sullivan, Brady and Kretinsky) wish to tie him down, reports suggest that it’s unlikely he’ll sign and that could run down his contract ahead of moving next year (Claret & Hugh).

Amid these claims, there are question marks surrounding the starlet’s recent absence from Moyes’ squad, but the Scotsman has now explained why Ashby has not been featuring lately.

The Latest: Moyes shares Ashby update…

The Scotsman claimed (via football.london) that the West Ham full-back has been nursing an injury, explaining the real reason why Ashby hasn’t been named in any of his recent starting XI.

Moyes revealed: “Harrison had a groin strain and in truth, if he had been available and with us, we would’ve tried to get him some minutes because we’ve only really had Vladimir Coufal in that area at the moment with us because of Ben Johnson’s injury.

“Harrison is fine. Before we left, I saw him, he was back trying to start his rehab and he was back on the grass but he’s still slightly feeling it, so that is the reason he wasn’t in the squad or even with us.”

The Verdict: Good news…

Ashby recovering from a groin injury, with his absence unrelated to those Newcastle links, could come as some good news.

While it is unclear when the Scotland under-21 international will return to full contention, it may be soon judging by this update from Moyes and the claim that he is now back on the grass.

Dubbed a ‘top player’ by West Ham’s under-23 head coach Mark Robson, it will hand the Irons manager a big boost to eventually call upon Ashby amid an injury to another exciting young right-back in Ben Johnson.

Leeds United have reportedly been boosted in their efforts to sign PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo, due to the Dutchman changing his agent.

The Lowdown: Gakpo wanted by Leeds

The 23-year-old was a player in demand throughout the summer transfer window after a phenomenal 2021/22 campaign, with a host of clubs looking to snap him up after some starring performances for PSV.

Leeds were one of those, with chairman Andrea Radrizzani even confirming the interest on Twitter.

Gakpo has continued to shine this season, incredibly scoring eight goals and registering six assists in just seven Eredivisie appearances.

It seems clear that he won’t be at PSV forever and Leeds will be excited by a new claim that has emerged.

The Latest: Change of agent

According to Football Insider, Gakpo has ‘set his sights on finding new representatives ahead of a transfer next year’, which is described as a ‘boost’ for Leeds and other interested clubs.

It is seen as a ‘huge’ development by those close to the situation, with his current representatives SEG seemingly not easy to bargain with.

The report claims the news gives ‘encouragement to Leeds’ specifically, but also to other suitors, while they name-check Victor Orta in the update too, who travelled to the Netherlands on deadline day to try and sign Gakpo.

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The Verdict: Should be a key target

This is a positive update for Leeds and certainly appears to enhance their hopes of signing Gakpo, whether that be in January or next summer.

The Netherlands international is a huge prospect whose numbers in his homeland speak for themselves, and he has been hailed as ‘simply too good’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Leeds will clearly face stern competition for Gakpo’s signature, however, so bringing him in will be hard, but the thought of him in a Whites shirt is mouthwatering.

Mauricio Pochettino is an ‘attractive proposition’ for Aston Villa if Steven Gerrard is sacked as the club’s manager, according to reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Gerrard under pressure

It has been an underwhelming start to the season for Villa, who are in the bottom six in the Premier League and struggling to pick up positive results.

There are reportedly doubts regarding Gerrard’s position in the Midlands, and defeat away to Leeds United on Sunday afternoon could put him under the spotlight even more.

Pochettino has been linked with replacing the 42-year-old if the former Liverpool captain is dismissed, and a new update has emerged in that regard.

The Latest: Preece talks up Pochettino

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Preece admitted that chief executive Christian Purslow and those high up at Villa Park like the idea of the Argentine as the club’s manager. The journalist said:

“This type of calibre of manager would be an attractive proposition for the owners and for Christian Purslow, himself, as well.

“Villa like a big name and they’ve got one at the moment, with Steven Gerrard at the helm.”

The Verdict: Exciting potential Villa boss

Pochettino’s stock may have fallen a little in recent times, following a forgettable spell in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, but there is no denying that he is an exciting manager.

He took Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019, the club’s first and only appearance at that stage of the competition, and was renowned for playing an exciting brand of football, so he could be the ideal man to potentially replace Gerrard at Villa.

The hope is that the current boss turns things around, having certainly done good things in his time at Villa Park, but the pressure is set to be cranked up by the week until results start arriving more consistently.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Newcastle United could be a ‘very tempting’ destination for Christian Pulisic if they make the right offer for him.

The Lowdown: January race

The St James’ Park outfit are reportedly in a race with three other clubs to sign the American in the January transfer window.

Leeds United, Juventus and his former club Borussia Dortmund are also thought to be in the hunt for the 24-year-old’s signature, and Chelsea are reportedly willing to sell him for £31.5m.

The Latest: Pulisic could be tempted

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs has said that Pulisic could be tempted by a move to Newcastle if the right offer is made in January, although whether or not Chelsea are still willing to sell him at that point may depend on his performance for the USA in the World Cup in Qatar this winter.

The CBS reporter stated: “I think if Newcastle made the right offer, that could be very tempting to Pulisic. But he’s one of the players that the World Cup is really going to influence now because he’s stuck at Chelsea until the World Cup.

“If he then doesn’t have the best World Cup, he might feel shunned down the pecking order even further at Chelsea and then think, ‘okay, it’s better I just leave’. But if he has a great World Cup, then I think Chelsea wouldn’t want to get rid of him in January and will be more bullish about the situation. He’s playing under a new manager in Graham Potter who can galvanise him too. So that whole culture in the dressing room, from Pulisic’s point of view, has changed.”

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The Verdict: Avoid

Even though Pulisic could perform well at the World Cup, he is still a player that Eddie Howe’s side should be looking to avoid in the January market.

The winger has simply not shown enough consistency in the Premier League, with just 30 goal contributions in 81 games in the division, and zero goals and one assist in seven top-flight matches so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as a ‘big, big talent’ by Leeds United manager and compatriot Jesse Marsch, Pulisic seems to relish playing for his country, with 21 goals and 12 assists in 52 senior caps (Transfermarkt).

However, the 24-year-old has not been able to replicate that kind of form for Chelsea, so the Magpies should be looking at other targets.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters will need no reminding just how poor Daniel Levy’s £63m signing of Tanguy Ndombele back in the summer of 2019 has panned out for the club, with the 25-year-old arguably having proven to be one of the biggest errors in the transfer market made by any club in the Premier League era.

Indeed, while many involved with Spurs were incredibly excited about their side landing the France international a little over three years ago – something that was hardly surprising after the central midfielder enjoyed an impressive campaign with Olympique Lyon the season prior – this early anticipation quickly turned into disappointment.

Having said that, after bagging a goal on his Premier League debut in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, as well as registering an assist in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in the very next fixture, it initially appeared as if Ndombele and Tottenham were something of a match made in heaven.

However, with a series of knocks seeing the Frenchman start just 14 further league fixtures in 2019/22, as well as the 25-year-old scoring just one further goal and providing one more assist in the top flight that year, Spurs’ huge outlay on the midfielder was already beginning to look like a big mistake.

Things slightly did slightly improve for the £200k-per-week talent over his 33 Premier League fixtures in 2020/21, scoring three goals, registering two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing Ndombele earn a respectable SofaScore match rating of 6.90 – ranking him as Spurs’ joint ninth-best player in the league that term.

However, the seven-cap international’s displays over his nine league appearances in 2021/22 appeared to well and truly put the final nail in the coffin in his career at Spurs, with the £26m-rated man averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.58 – ranking him as Tottenham’s second-worst performer in the top flight last time out.

This led to Spurs’ newly appointed manager, Antonio Conte, shipping the player who Jamie Carragher dubbed “like an old man” out on loan to Lyon for the second half of the 21/22 campaign, before once again loaning the Frenchman out to SS Napoli for the duration of the 2022/23 season.

However, if the £32.8m Ndombele has cost Tottenham in wages over the 164 weeks he spent in north London between his July 2019 signing and his August 2022 move to Napoli was not bad enough, as a result of his astronomical salary, Levy is still reported to be contributing £89k-per-week in order for the 25-year-old not to play for the club.

This means that, over the course of his season-long loan in Italy, Ndombele will have cost Spurs a further £4m in wages, despite having not kicked a ball for Conte’s side for 45 weeks – taking his total cost in salary to a staggering £36.8m by the end of the campaign.

As such, it is clear for all to see that, while Ndombele’s arrival in north London was very much Levy’s own doing, the 25-year-old midfielder has been rinsing the club’s chairman for 209 weeks – all with two years set to run on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Sunderland’s academy has produced plenty of impressive talent worthy of recognition, with arguably their most notable graduate Jordan Henderson having lifted almost every trophy as captain of Liverpool.

Just this summer saw them make a conscious effort to continue that trend with the acquisition of four promising youngsters.

Of the quartet, Owen Robinson could be seen as the most akin to another youngster who rose through the Chelsea academy to become a Premier League star: Mason Mount.

Born in Liverpool, Robinson had impressed throughout the Fylde youth ranks. The 19-year-old was the top scorer for their U18s side during the 2020/21 season.

Clearly possessing a keen eye for goal, the attacking midfielder has also taken to life in the Premier League 2 with relative ease too.

This season he has one goal and one assist in five games, showing that he is not out of his depth at this level.

As he is facing a tougher level, his goals are naturally declining as he faces tougher opposition. It seems like, should he fulfil his potential, he might end up with a more all-around tally like Mount’s 11 goals and ten assists last season in the Premier League.

Indeed, he would appear to be a canny operator in that number 10 role, acting as not just a natural finisher – something he has relished in recent years – but a strong supply line like Mount too.

However, when asked about his play style, Robinson suggested he might have a little bit more magic and unpredictability than the England international.

He said: “I feel like last season, playing senior football, has stood me in good stead moving forward. I feel that given the opportunity, I can light up a game and really put a marker down – I can’t wait to get to work here.”

As he mentions. having featured six times last season in the National League North last season for Fylde’s first team will have aided in his development tenfold.

He will have experience far beyond many of the youngsters he will be facing in his current division, which will be integral in the long run when he hopefully does make the senior step up.

Perhaps he could force himself into Tony Mowbray’s plans this season and give Sunderland their own Mount to propel them towards promotion.

Liverpool youngster Fabio Carvalho could now be handed more playing time in the absence of injured stars Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Injuries problems mount

The Reds are still revelling in their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday afternoon but that’s not to say that there aren’t any concerns ahead of West Ham’s visit to Anfield.

Unfortunately, Jota was badly hurt in the dying seconds of the game at Anfield and he now joins Diaz in being out until the World Cup, with Jurgen Klopp confirming the Portuguese star will miss ‘months’ with a calf problem.

Carvalho was a late substitute against City, doing his bit for the cause, and more opportunities may now lie ahead for him.

The Latest: Pearce makes Carvalho claim

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Pearce said exactly that, backing the 20-year-old to enjoy an extended spell in the team in the coming weeks:

“Fabio Carvalho most likely to benefit with more minutes on that left side.”

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The Verdict: Massive opportunity to shine

Having Carvalho playing week in week out on the wing isn’t ideal at this point in his career, given his lack of experience, but he has done enough to suggest that he can be trusted this season, having been described as ‘fantastic’ by Fulham manager Marco Silva.

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The youngster’s dramatic later winner against Newcastle United back in August was one of the biggest contributions of the season so far and he has looked lively during his eight Premier League appearances.

Should Klopp go with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Carvalho could take up a left-sided role, with Mohamed Salah on the right, Roberto Firmino in the No.10 position and Darwin Nunez up front.