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Wesley is ‘fit and well’ after being substituted early for Aston Villa’s under-23s on Friday, according to the Birmingham Mail.

The striker departed after just 38 minutes of the Premier League 2 Division Two clash with Wolves as Wesley apparently felt a ‘sharp twinge’ in his right knee following a 50-50 challenge.

Wesley’s grim absence

The Brazilian, a £22m signing from Club Brugge two summers ago, hasn’t featured for Villa’s first team since New Year’s Day 2020, when he sustained a cruciate ligament rupture in a 2-1 win at Burnley.

Thankfully though, what would have come as a major scare on Friday is apparently nothing to worry about.

“It’s been a long, hard road back for him,” Dean Smith said last month, adding: “As coaches and staff we just have to be patient and work hard with him.”

When he is fully fit, Wesley will be able to provide competition for Villa’s top scorer Ollie Watkins. The Brazilian had scored five Premier League goals in his debut season before it was cut short.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Off the back of this update, you might think that Wesley would be able to get some first team minutes under his belt before the end of the season.

Villa’s under-23s are back in action on Friday against Fulham, and if indeed Wesley is ‘fit and well’, you’d hope he can come through that match unscathed.

Smith will be keen to give him a morale-boosting runout soon enough. He has effectively lost more than a year of his fledgling career, and seen Watkins arrive to tie down the centre-forward role long-term given his impressive 2020/21 season.

In other news, what’s the latest on Jack Grealish?

Liverpool are back in Premier League action tonight as they tackle Leeds United at Elland Road.

The match takes place on the backdrop of the huge news revolving around the European Super League proposals but Jurgen Klopp will certainly be attempting to keep the Reds focused on their task to earn a position in the top-four following their elimination in the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid.

How many changes could the German be tempted to make for the trip to Yorkshire?

We are expecting as many as three alterations for Klopp tonight.

Despite that, there will not be any in the defence where Alisson will once again be shielded by the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ozan Kabak, Nathaniel Phillips and Andrew Robertson.

There will, however, be two changes in the centre of the park.

Fabinho will retain his spot just in front of the backline but will have different colleagues to look out for. Due to the quick turnaround, James Milner and the £90k per week Georginio Wijnaldum could well drop out.

This would usually have given Thiago Alcantara an opportunity to start. However, with the Spaniard having not yet registered a goal or an assist for the Reds since a summer move, it would possibly be better to reintroduce Curtis Jones who has eight direct goal contributions to his name this season.

Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has not started in the Premier League since mid-January, could also potentially be introduced for a more attacking threat.

Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino could well remain in the starting line-up but Sadio Mane surely has to be benched having not scored in any of his last nine Premier League games.

[snack-amp-story url=” https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-asensio-vlahovic-van-dijk-alberto-pedri” title=” Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more… “]

He could once again be replaced by Diogo Jota.

AND in more news, read about how Liverpool’s decision to sign up for the European Super League has betrayed Jurgen Klopp…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie said he believes Celtic have missed a trick by not playing “best finisher at the club” Leigh Griffiths more often this season.

The former Scottish striker has been restricted to a bit-part role at Celtic Park this term, starting just seven Scottish Premiership matches, and hasn’t been included in the XI since January.

Despite his lack of opportunities under both Neil Lennon and now John Kennedy, Griffiths has still chipped in with six goals and two assists in all competitions, in under 750 minutes of action.
And his lack of game-time has led to speculation surrounding his future – with Aberdeen, who’ve recently signed Scott Brown on a player-coach role, interested in making a double-swoop in order to bring Griffiths to the North of Scotland.
The former Wolves and Hibs striker has been an outstanding servant to Celtic, scoring more than 100 goals in his eight seasons in Glasgow, but has under 14 months remaining on his contract with the Hoops, which could lead to a summer departure.
And given his goalscoring prowess, McAvennie believes that Griffiths has been unused this season. He told Football FanCast:

“I look at him and think, he’s the best striker at Celtic. At the moment he’s better than Edouard, finishing I mean, he’s the best finisher at the club. You give him a chance and he’ll put it away, that’s what he does.

“I’d have played Griffiths, I’d have stuck with it. I don’t get this in the modern day game, people saying he’s not fit. I’ve heard John Kennedy saying he’s not fit, Neil Lennon saying he’s not, that’s on you, you’re the manager. What are all these fitness coaches getting paid for?”

It’s been a difficult campaign for Celtic, but with Odsonne Edouard the only player to reach double figures in the league, they might have missed a trick by not playing Griffiths slightly more.

Leeds must win the race to sign Crystal Palace star Patrick van Aanholt in this summer transfer window amid reports linking him with a move elsewhere.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have got their eye on signing the Dutchman on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.

However, Football Insider now claim that Galatasaray have offered a contract to Van Aanholt as they look to beat the Whites to his signing, with the Turkish giants also the team who have supposedly agreed a deal to land Leeds’ Gjanni Alioski.

Premier League proven

Van Aanholt is battle-hardened in English football, having played 209 times in the Premier League, and would surely be more of a guarantee in terms of hitting the ground running at Elland Road.

His more attacking style of play as a left-back is also right up Bielsa’s wheelhouse, with Gus Poyet, his former manager at Sunderland, saying: “You need to be really on top of him for his defensive duties and maybe have people around who can help him to maintain the mentality you need to defend. He’s a very offensive full back. He has an explosive ability to go forward and help the team to create chances.

“I would say use him as much as you can on the offensive side, and convince him to help with his defensive duties. But that’s his character. It is what it is. We can’t change that and he can’t be a different player than he is.”

The £55,000-a-week earning Dutchman would be a shrewd signing for Leeds given his Premier League experience and the fact he would arrive as a free agent once his contract expires.

It’s a deal which Victor Orta and co should be all over.

Meanwhile, Leeds must surely rue letting this star leave…

Crystal Palace have reportedly become the latest club to register an interest in Hatayspor striker Aaron Boupendza.

According to 90.com, the Eagles have been monitoring the Gabon international, alongside a host of fellow Premier League sides, namely Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton, Leicester City and West Ham United, amongst many others.

Steve Parish and the Palace hierarchy need to ensure that they push themselves to the front of the queue and secure the £6.3m-rated striker in the summer.

Boupendza is currently in lethal form for Hatayspor. He sits top of the Turkish Super Lig scoring charts with 18 goals in just 26 matches. That record is even more remarkable considering that the 24-year-old has started just 16 matches in the league this term.

He would certainly bring a distinct eye for goal to Selhurst Park should he sign for the Eagles, an aspect that Roy Hodgson’s current options are certainly missing.

Of the strikers currently at the club, Christian Benteke is the highest-scoring with a measly five strikes. Meanwhile, fellow forwards Jordan Ayew, Michy Batshuayi and Jean-Philippe Mateta all sit on just one goal each.

It goes without saying then that the Eagles need to bring in someone capable of finding the back of the net.

When comparing his match statistics, Boupendza continues to come out on top.

According to WhoScored, he attempts more shots per game than any of Crystal Palace’s current players with 2.8.

Remarkably, the striker also completes a huge 2.7 dribbles per game which would be by far and away the best in the Eagles’ squad – an astounding feat considering the fleet-footedness of the likes of Eberechi Eze and Wilfried Zaha.

It is no surprise then that there is considerable competition for his signature. Palace must make sure they push themselves to the front for him as they are in desperate need for a forward who can find the back of the net.

AND in more news, take a look at which former Premier League boss would be the perfect replacement for Roy Hodgson…

In recent comments, the agent of Illan Meslier, Xavier Fleury, discussed potential interest in the Leeds United goalkeeper, as well as hinting at the shot-stopper’s future exit from Elland Road.

Since arriving at Leeds on what was originally a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2019 – with the club making Meslier’s signing permanent in a £5.85 million deal last summer – the 21-year-old has so far gone on to feature 36 times for the Whites, conceding 48 goals and keeping 15 clean sheets along the way.

So far this season, despite his tender age, the £10.8 million-rated Frenchman has highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, making an average of four saves and per game, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as the club’s sixth-best performer in the top flight.

And, speaking recently on the LUFC Fan Zone podcast, as cited by Leeds Live, Fleury claimed that a number of big clubs could be interested in signing the France U21 international, as well opening the door to the ‘keepers potential exit from the club.

He said: “When you are so young, the youngest starting goalkeeper in Europe, for sure, big clubs could be interested, following him. Illan is starting at Leeds. He loves the club. Perhaps in one, two seasons, if you have a club like Real Madrid that knock on the door, who knows?”

Transfer Tavern Take

With Leeds not exactly having great strength in depth in the goalkeeper department – Kiko Casilla being Bielsa’s back up shot-stopper, with the club losing all three games the 34-year-old has featured in this season – keeping Meslier at the club is likely to be a priority for the Whites this summer.

However, with Fleury claiming that the 21-year-old is currently loving life at Elland Road, it would appear as if the Frenchman is in no rush to leave any time soon, which is likely to be very pleasing news for both Bielsa as well as fans of the club.

In other news, Phil Hay shed light on this Leeds star’s contract details – find out more here!

Carlo Ancelotti should urge Marcel Brands to launch a summer swoop for Everton to sign a second Richarlison-type player in VfB Stuttgart forward Silas Wamangituka.

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Wamangituka has caught the attention of a clutch of Premier League clubs with his dazzling efforts in the Bundesliga this season.

The 21-year-old has been the star of Stuttgart’s campaign since Die Roten returned to the German top-flight last summer, netting 11 of his side’s 44 goals while providing three assists.

Wamangituka, who is under contract at the Mercedes-Benz Arena until 2024, is considered to be one of the most exciting talents across the Bundesliga, having delivered an instant impact while tackling matches with a distinctive style of play.

His pace and finishing excellence from a wide position is thought to have Everton and Fulham on alert, along with talent spotters from some of Germany’s bigger clubs.

The DR Congo native is likened to Arsenal’s £72m forward Nicolas Pepe for the way he broke out at LOSC Lille to seal his move to the Emirates Stadium in 2019, having provided 22 goals and 11 assists in 38 Ligue 1 appearances.

Should Everton sign Wamangituka?

Ancelotti urging Everton’s Director of Football Brands to launch a pursuit to sign Wamangituka this summer could see the Dutch chief acquire a versatile dynamo, who is capable of playing on either wing as well as in behind the striker.

The £22.5m-rated speedster is able to find the back of the net on either wing, too, having struck nine goals and produced three assists from 19 games on the right-flank along with two goals in two Bundesliga outings from the left.

Fitness rarely seems an issue for the 21-year-old, either, with the energetic winger starting 21 of his 22 appearances while sitting out just one fixture to date this term.

Arsenal’s Pepe is not the only player Wamangituka has been likened to, as well, with former Gunners Head of Scouting Sven Mislintat, now Stuttgart’s Sporting Director, comparing the Paris FC product with Gabon star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

“There are some differences between them, of course, but also many, many similar things,” Mislintat told Bundesliga.com. “His father was a player, defensive midfielder, playing for the national team of Gabon, hard worker and Auba got this attitude.

“And he has learned quite a lot also from Jurgen Klopp in working defensively. If they adopt this and they are able to do this, then they will become big, big stars in football with their qualities and their mindsets. And this is what Silas did as well.”

Mislintat also describes Wamangituka as a “scoring machine”, along with being “humble, hungry for success, [and] he would like to improve his game every day.”

Wamangituka’s drive, output, style and versatility would not be too dissimilar to Richarlison if brought to Everton, offering Ancelotti two high-calibre options for either wing.

“I think he [Richarlison] cannot play centre-forward because he is really good at attacking the line and to play centre-forward, most of the time you have your back to the goal,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “I think for him, better is centre-left.”

The Toffees boss has also praised his star Brazilian for his defensive contribution, noting via quotes by the Mirror: “I was not happy with him against Newcastle because I think he could work more. Against Leeds, he did fantastic defensive work and I was pleased with that performance.”

It remains to be seen how much Stuttgart would value Wamangituka at the end of the season, but Everton should certainly sound out the Bundesliga side’s position.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…

Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Wilfried Zaha will miss Crystal Palace’s Premier League clash with Leeds United and “possibly much longer” after he suffered a hamstring injury against Newcastle United.

What’s the word?

The Ivory Coast international, 28, picked up a hamstring problem in their 2-1 win at Newcastle and will miss the trip to Elland Road on Monday night as a result.

With a short turnaround before Palace face Burnley at Selhurst Park on Saturday, it’s unlikely he will be available for selection for that clash, before a trip to Brighton a week today.

“We don’t know how long it’s going to keep him out but he certainly won’t be available for this game and it could even be much longer than that,” Hodgson told reporters.

“You never know with these hamstring injuries, Wilf is incredible in terms of recovery so I wouldn’t want to put a definite timeline on it.

“But it is a muscle strain and all muscle strains take time to heal.”

Big setback for Hodgson

There’s no doubting the fact that this will be a bitter pill to swallow for Hodgson as his side have built up some newfound momentum heading into the clash with Leeds.

Palace are currently 13th in the Premier League table, thanks in no small part to Zaha, who is the club’s top goalscorer with nine goals and two assists to show for his 19 starts.

His return of nine goals sees him ranked tenth in the top flight, a chart that is topped by none other than the likes of Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane.

In his absence, Hodgson has plenty of options to choose from upfront, many with contrasting abilities, yet nearly all of them have been unable to cement their place in the side. Zaha has established himself as both the first-choice forward and the fulcrum of the attack and his presence will be sorely missed.

Christian Benteke may be the slightly more potent striker with three goals in 15 top-flight appearances, but Michy Batshuayi’s form as of late – one goal in his last three – could give him a more compelling case to start.

Eberechi Eze apart, the closest thing to a natural wide man who is capable of cutting inside from the flank is Jordan Ayew, who has been a constant for Hodgson but one who, given his recent struggles in front of goal (he’s only scored once all season), has done little to merit a place in the starting line-up.

That being said, as we explained earlier, Hodgson may be tempted to throw Jean-Philippe Mateta in at the deep end to test his mettle against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Either way, we don’t envy Hodgson the decision, that’s for sure. Palace could leapfrog Leeds and go tenth with a win, but will have to do so without the services of their chief talisman, which will be no easy task.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson must recall James McArthur to face Leeds United…

Many Southampton fans were not impressed with winger Nathan Redmond during his side’s Premier League clash against Chelsea at St Mary’s.

The 26-year-old made his seventh start of the season after playing a bit-part role in Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side during the 2020/21 campaign.

Redmond started alongside Takumi Minamino in attacking midfield with Danny Ings playing as the tip of the Saints’ attacking force, replacing Che Adams who has failed to score since December.

The English trickster found himself struggling down the right-hand side due to Chelsea’s adventurous fullbacks out wide, coming out second best in the majority of his individual duels – as per Sofascore, he lost a whopping nine of his ten 50/50s.

He did however play a part for the Saints’ goal before the break, providing the assist for Takumi Minamino’s strike.

That action didn’t see him escape the wrath of supporters, who were furious that the £16.2m-rated Redmond was selected ahead of Adams and did not sugarcoat their words when making their feelings clear on social media.

Redmond fails to impress these fans

Can we take off Redmond already please, can’t hold the ball to save his life #saintsfc”

Credit: @LiamEyre25

Back four. Still, no idea where Redmond fits into this team ahead of Adams. At least give Ings something to work with… Prove me wrong, Redz. #saintsfc

Credit: @StMarysMusings

I can take McCarthy in goal, I can take Djenepo at Rwb but what has Redmond done in the last few games to warrant starting at ST #SaintsFC

Credit: @mattcw0410

“Never seen a more disinterested team! #SaintsFC Redmond out for a Sunday jog, Ings not chasing down the keeper like he usually does!”

Credit: @SaintsFCFanZone

“Redmond giving @SouthamptonFC nothing. Useless every week. Get him off and give others a chance #SOUCHE #SaintsFC #COYR #redmondoff thank you minimino!”

Credit: @TheKingydelay

“Need to put on Kayne Ramsay & Che. Take off Djenepo & Redmond. Redmond in particular has done nothing and I can’t for the life of me understand why Ralph is playing him upfront”

Credit: @ODagogo

In other news, Mark Halsey reacted to controversial Southampton incident – EXCLUSIVE.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, Glasgow Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a move for Rochdale winger Kwadwo Baah.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard has got Rangers miles ahead of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race and is looking at January additions to keep them there.

And it could see him trump Premier League club West Ham and European giants Bayern Munich and Juventus to the signing of the talented English teenager, according to The Athletic.

Baah has enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Spotland Stadium, with three goals and two assists to show for his seven starts from 13 appearances in League One.

But if Rangers want to organise a smash and grab they will have to act quickly before the transfer window closes this week.

Better than Brandon Barker?

Whilst the ever-reliable Ryan Kent is a shoe-in on the left wing, Gerrard has struggled to settle for a designated backup option behind the former Liverpool man. On the right-hand side, Rangers fans have borne witness to some remarkable players over the years, including Brian Laudrup, Dado Prso and of course Andrei Kanchelskis.

Kent aside, the same can’t really be said for the opposite flank, as until recently Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been the two battling to bag the substitute spot, although there are still questions over each. Jones is set to sign for Sunderland on loan until the end of the season while Barker has barely played since the start of the season.

It’s fair to say that Baah would be a significant upgrade on Barker and could in turn be seen as one for the future having impressed for Brian Barry-Murphy’s side so far this season. According to WhoScored, the 18-year-old’s attacking stats are already superior to Barker’s in almost every area this season.

He is currently averaging more key passes and dribbles per match and is fouled more times than the 24-year-old. Although Barker takes more shots, Baah has scored more goals (3) this season.

Rochdale boss Barry-Murphy recently hailed the “special talent” after he sparked a five-goal rout of League One strugglers Wigan.

If Gerrard is looking for suitable replacements on the left wing, then Baah would make a fine addition to the Rangers squad.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Rob Lee reacts to Rangers transfer interest in Billy Gilmour…