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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Aston Villa have been faced with a bit of a lull spell as the international break has taken over for the best part of two weeks, so it seems like an ideal time to take a dip into the goings-on within the club itself.

Their academy has several promising youngsters in its ranks with much of them being loaned out this season as seen with Callum O’Hare at Coventry City, Rushian Hepburn-Murphy at Tranmere Rovers and Jake Doyle-Hayes at Cheltenham Town.

Those that remain could be lucky enough to feature in their Carabao Cup campaign as Dean Smith’s men eased into the fourth round with a 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.

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Jacob Ramsey was one player who managed to earn some game time in that match, someone Football FanCast have previously tipped for greatness.

The England U19 international has a knack for scoring goals from midfield, bagging 16 in 37 appearances for the U18s, before surpassing his age group to feature for the U23s, where he has already scored three goals in six matches in the Premier League 2 this term.

But he also has two brothers in the academy ranks with Aaron being named in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation 2019’ list, which is their take on the best young players at every Premier League club born between September 2002 and August 2003.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

He is described as a ‘technically gifted attacking midfielder’ who has ‘the ability and vision to create chances for others.’

These two could well emulate past links to brothers that have played in the claret and blue, like Bruce and Neil Rioch in the early 1970s, or Stefan and Luke Moore in the early 2000s.

Craig and Gary Gardner are another pair to play for the club, but they both featured at different times during their career.

The Ramsey’s are certainly an exciting duo and could well be next in line if they continue to progress at this rate.

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Alphonse Areola made his official debut for Real Madrid just this Wednesday when he started in between the sticks for Los Blancos against Osasuna.

Zinedine Zidane’s troops managed to cruise to a rather impressive 2-0 victory on the night and are now top of the La Liga table.

Areola did not have much to do throughout the night as Osasuna couldn’t even tally a single shot on target throughout the 90 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu, but it was still enough to win over many of the Madridistas.

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Loads of them swarmed Twitter and social media after the game to shower the 26-year-old goalkeeper with praise and messages of support.

Many of them also seem to think he should start every single game for the Galacticos moving forward and they already see him as superior to Thibaut Courtois.

You can see some of their replies and comments down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

Tottenham Hotspur seem to be the club making all the headlines for all the wrong reasons at the moment.

The London club currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, but their recent performances have been nothing short of embarrassing.

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Indeed, over the last couple of weeks Spurs have been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Colchester United and beaten 7-2 at home by Bayern Munich, so you can understand why there are concerns surrounding the club.

ESPN’s pundits attempted to decipher what exactly the problem is with Spurs at the moment, and one man believes that their issues are much deeper than originally thought.

“For me, it’s not only the players, it’s not only Pochettino, the feeling around Spurs seems to be poison,” Alejandro Moreno said, concluding that the club has “deep, deep issues”.

You’d have to agree with the pundit based on the evidence we have been presented thus far.

Players have been complaining about the manager’s tactics and the manager has been complaining about the owner’s transfer dealings.

There doesn’t seem to be any happy parties at Spurs at the moment, and that will need to change quickly if they are to have a decent season.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Georginio Wijnaldum has been given a new lease of life on international duty, and his form for the Netherlands could lead to a change in the way he is used by Liverpool.

The 28-year-old was once a goalscoring midfielder whilst playing in his native country and even scored 11 in his year at Newcastle, but since making the move to Anfield his box-to-box style has restricted his opportunities in front of goal, scoring just 13 times in 145 appearances.

For his national team it has been a complete contrast of late, and Ronald Koeman has been able to get the best out of him since he took over, with the midfielder scoring five and assisting three in his last ten games for the national side.

Moreover, each of those games were competitive fixtures, with Wijnaldum helping himself to two goals against Germany and one against France, thus proving to be one of the most important players for the Netherlands.

He has been effective for Liverpool this season but in a much different style, breaking up play for the Reds with an average of one interception per game, and keeping the midfield ticking over with 90% pass accuracy.

With Fabinho and Jordan Henderson operating in a similar fashion, Jurgen Klopp could look at Wijnaldum’s international form and grant him a license to get into attacking positions. He has shown on occasion for Liverpool that he has finishing instinct, and without his two goals against Barcelona they would never have won the Champions League.

In the recent round of fixtures the former PSV man scored the Netherlands’ fourth goal against both Germany and Estonia, and the attacking intent he displayed suggests he could be a threat for Liverpool if given the opportunity to take up positions in the opposition box.

Although he was playing against lesser opposition in comparison to those he would come across in the Premier League, Wijnaldum showed that playing in a more advanced role does not cause his involvement in the game to reduce, with an impressive 59 touches across 90 minutes as per SofaScore.

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His energy can be vital to Klopp’s style at Anfield and he is a reliable source for the Reds in winning back the ball and retaining possession, and he evidenced that side of his game against Estonia by winning the ball six times.

His 91% pass accuracy shows how effectively he uses the ball and he has improved in that area of his game since joining Liverpool, as he averaged a pass success rate of 84% in his time with the Magpies.

If he can take up similar areas for his club side then he should be able to get on the scoresheet more regularly, and if he does that he could become an even more important player for the Reds.

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Everton’s woes on the road continued on Sunday with a defeat to Bournemouth, as Eddie Howe’s men ran out 3-1 winners on the south coast.

The Toffees enjoyed 59% possession but were able to conjure just five shots on target, and it was a familiar feeling for the defence and Marco Silva as the Cherries scored from two set-pieces.

No side has conceded more from set-pieces than Everton in the Premier League since the start of last season, with 16 goals in 2018/19, and three goals so far this term.

Despite the defeat, there were some positives to take. Everton looked comfortable in possession for large parts against a Bournemouth side whose average of 359.4 passes per game shows they like to keep the ball.

A first goal of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be a big confidence boost for the striker, too.

His contribution was positive for Marco Silva, whose trust in the 22-year-old was repaid with an equaliser.

However, it was at the other end of the pitch where his team let him down, and not for the first time this campaign. The Toffees have now conceded seven goals in their last three games.

After falling behind for a second time the Portuguese brought on more attacking flair, but it was too little too late.

Everton had chances to claw one back, with Alex Iwobi coming closest in what would have been his third goal in three games, but it instead ended up a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

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Everton may have picked up their first away goal of 2019/20, but it is now three defeats on the road. Such inconsistency is likely to hinder their hopes of breaking into the top six but they will look to get back to winning ways with the visit of Sheffield United to Goodison Park on Saturday.

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Fernando Llorente has been deputising quite ably for Harry Kane since the England striker sustained an ankle ligament injury.

The former Swansea City striker has been thrown in at the deep end under Mauricio Pochettino and has done well, and he deserves the chance to play against Leicester City this weekend and earn his way into next week’s clash with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

 On the chalkboard

The 6 foot 4 striker has had a divisive effect since coming into the team.

He scored an own goal against Fulham but also gave Spurs hope of progressing to the Carabao Cup final with an excellently taken header against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino’s men, of course, lost on penalties.

He also scored against Watford, a late winner, to give the club a 2-1 victory having already provided a clever assist to Heung-Min Son for the South Korea international to level the scores.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Llorente was also on hand to again give Son the chance to score next time out, chesting down a long ball that the winger lashed home against Newcastle United.

The 33-year-old is not the most elegant striker, and sometimes appears akin to a bull in a china shop, but he has the ability to change games and has been at the centre of Spurs’ two most recent victories.

They face Leicester this weekend and rotation is likely, particularly with Dortmund to come on Wednesday.

Pochettino, though, should give Llorente the chance to earn his place against the German giants.

Kane fitness not guaranteed

The Sun report that Kane could be fit for the game against Dortmund.

It would mark a shocking turn of events, given that he was initially ruled out until March.

But the fitness of the England captain is far from guaranteed and is nothing to be trifled with by Pochettino, such is his history of ankle problems.

Playing Llorente against Leicester, then, is something of a low-risk, high-reward strategy.

Indeed, if he struggles to hit the back of the net, Son and Christian Eriksen can share the load, but if he gets on the goal trail, he will head into the game against Dortmund full of confidence.

Llorente is a completely different threat to Kane, and the Bundesliga giants may struggle to contain him – he should be given the right to prove that this weekend.

The game against Real Betis last weekend was huge for Barcelona in so many ways.

Firstly, it was their maiden game at the Camp Nou in the new 2019/20 La Liga season, and on top of that, it was also their first victory and the first three points in the new campaign.

But regardless of that, it also represented something much bigger for their young 16-year-old prodigy, Ansu Fati.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The youngster made his senior team debut against Real Betis in front of the roaring Camp Nou crowd, and if the latest social media activity is any indication, it seems that he’s quickly become a fan favourite.

Many Barcelona fans have already taken to Twitter to support Fati and call for him to be given a chance this weekend when the Catalans play Osasuna away from home.

Below, you can see a collection of tweets showing how the fans feel about this highly talented young prospect of La Masia.

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Flocking to Twitter, many Southampton fans are buzzing over a fresh transfer update out of St. Mary’s Stadium involving Fulham forward Fabio Carvalho.

Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens has kept his role as chief executive even after Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak completed his £100 million takeover in early January (Sky Sports).

As such, the Southampton CEO is still tasked with overseeing recruitment strategy as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side become linked with a few signings.

Their main priority appears to be wrapping up a permanent deal for loanee Armando Broja, who has impressed since joining on a temporary transfer from Chelsea (The Guardian).

However, that doesn’t mean other moves aren’t in the pipeline, with an update emerging involving Fulham forward Carvalho.

According to Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, speaking to Give Me Sport, Southampton are in pole position to sign the exciting Championship talent who has seven goals and two assists this season.

As per the ‘transfer insider’, Semmens and have ‘really been leading the race’ for Carvalho despite interest from Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham (TEAMtalk).

Saints fans buzzing…

Flocking to this claim, many Saints supporters have been left buzzing on Twitter, with one fan calling him a would-be ‘unreal signing’.

His brilliant Championship form at the tender age of 19-years-old just shows how much potential Carvalho may have to become a really top level player, and the fact he could leave as a free agent as things stand is even more of a reason to swoop.

Here’s how Southampton fans reacted on social media as their club lead the way:

“Perfect signing if we pull that off”

Credit: @Charlie_Mercer_

“This is an incredibly inspiring move. Another youngster who can shine in a young talented team”

Credit: @LH_SFC

“PLEASEEEE”

Credit: @danthemanmfer

“This excites more than any potential deal for Broja tbh. #saintsfc”

Credit: @andrew2021k

“Get this done”

Credit: @Ross_Hodgson98

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @sfcrxbbo_

“This would be an unreal signing. Instantly replaces Redmond and brings energy in those winger positions”

Credit: @sfchenry_

Tottenham will continue talks with Wolves over the prospective signing of Adama Traore over the coming days, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Traore on the verge of Spurs move

The 25-year-old looks near-certain to join Spurs imminently, with strong rumours linking him with a move to north London in recent days.

Traore nearly had the perfect ending to his Wolves career in Saturday’s 2-1 win away to Brentford, scoring what looked like a match-sealing third goal, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

Spurs are still pushing hard to get their man, and a fresh update has now been provided on the matter.

The Latest: Romano gives update

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano said that talks between the two clubs would ramp up again, with Tottenham keen to get the deal done before next Monday’s transfer deadline and optimistic over their chances of doing so

The journalist outlined: “Tottenham are prepared to push on Adama Traore deal starting from today. Talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement. Club confident to complete the new signing.”

The Verdict: Right move for everyone

Traore has been a popular figure at Molineux but this is the right time for him to move on, with Wolves set to receive a healthy fee for his services.

The Spain winger has shown over an extended period that he cannot be considered a genuinely reliable attacking option, scoring only one goal and yet to register an assist in the Premier League this season. Nor is this an uncharacteristic trough; his 154 appearances in Old Gold have yielded a mere 11 goals.

The money from Spurs could be used to sign an attacker who Bruno Lage genuinely wants at Molineux, while Traore could try to prove his doubters wrong under Antonio Conte and enjoy a fresh challenge in north London.

In other news, a journalist has claimed Bruno Lage wants a Wolves signing in one position this month. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are one of multiple Premier League teams lining up a move for Kieran Trippier in what would be a sensational return to north London…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, as many as nine English top-flight sides have made an enquiry to Atletico Madrid over the 31-year-old right-back, who joined the LaLiga outfit from Spurs for around £25m back in 2019.

The Lilywhites are said to have asked about his availability heading into the January transfer window.

Manchester United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are among the many clubs thought to be keen on the England international, though it remains to be seen how much he would command with his release clause being in the region of £50m.

Transfermarkt, however, value him at just £18m.

Bye-bye Doherty?

A move for another right-back this season would surely spell the end for Matt Doherty’s time in north London as sporting director Fabio Paratici already signed Emerson Royal to replace Serge Aurier in the summer.

Indeed, it’s thought that the Northern Irishman, who was signed by Jose Mourinho for £15m, is on the chopping block next month.

“Spurs would be interested in moving on Dele Alli and possibly Matt Doherty, and there are others they would listen to offers for,” revealed The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke this week.

Trippier was a regular part of Diego Simeone’s side as they clinched the LaLiga title last season. As per WhoScored figures, he ranked as his second-best player with a rating of 7.20.

On top of providing six assists from defence, the Englishman also led the squad for tackles (2.2 per game) and interceptions (1.4 per game), and was also a major influence in the final third, managing the second-highest number of key passes (1.4 per game).

Despite heading towards his mid-thirties, it’s evident that Trippier has still got it and he would be a mighty fine addition to Conte’s squad.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has regularly lauded the right-back in the past. In the summer, he was dubbed a “defensive animal” and a “warrior” for his form and contribution at Atletico in recent times.

Spurs fans have always held Trippier in high regard, so they would surely be excited by the prospect of bringing him back to N17, whilst on the above evidence, he would be the perfect signing for Conte.

His ability to contribute at either end of the pitch is exactly what’s required in his wing-back system, so sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal the former Lilywhites star this winter – at all costs.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Eric Dier: Spurs eyeing swoop for £45m-rated “top player”, Conte “wants” him…