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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith is lining up a move for Watford midfielder Will Hughes in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Having sealed the signing of Emi Buendia from Norwich this week, the Villa boss is keen on reinforcing his central midfield options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

According to The Athletic, the Midlands club have been name-checked as one of those interested in signing Hughes this summer as he enters the final year of his contract, despite the midfielder’s recent insistence that he’s happy at Vicarage Road.

Speaking last month, Hughes said: “I’m really happy here, I’m settled, back in the Premier League. There’s nothing better and that’s how I want it to remain. It’s as simple as that. There are no thoughts in my head about me moving elsewhere.

“That’s in my agent’s and the club’s hands. That’s not something I’m really concerned about and it’s not something that I’ve really thought about. I’ll give my all for Watford until my contract is up.”

Previous Premier League experience

With 77 appearances to his name in the Premier League, Hughes fits the bill that Smith has stated he wants from any potential new signings at Villa Park this summer.

The Villa boss recently said: “In terms of our recruitment, we talk about the sweet spots that we’re looking for, which is that the players have Premier League experience and are (ideally) British because there is no adaptation risk at all.”

In the £30,000-a-week earning Hughes, they would get exactly that.

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Adrian Mariappa, his one-time teammate at Watford, waxed lyrical about the 26-year-old’s abilities back in 2018 as he said: “He’s an outstanding player. To see his quality he’s got, he has so much flair and a terrific player.”

Given that he has just one year left on his deal at Watford, Hughes could be someone who Villa snare on the cheap this summer.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim…

West Ham United are set to reignite their interest in a former target as David Moyes plots to bolster his playing squad ahead of next season.

The East London outfit have qualified for the Europa League and that means the prospect of a 50-plus game campaign is soon going to become a reality, so strength in depth across the pitch is certainly required.

This is why the 58-year-old appears keen on signing a new central defender this summer, as per Football Insider.

And now an ever-reliable source has provided an intriguing update, with the Hammers eyeing up a move for Marseille colossus Duje Caleta-Car, who started against England in their Euro 2020 opener on Sunday afternoon.

The Croatia international previously rejected a move to the London Stadium as he wanted to play in Europe – something West Ham can now offer him.

Speaking on a recent episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, the anonymous ExWHUemployee revealed that he was a signing to watch this transfer window.

“He is someone we have been massively linked with last summer and were going to sign until he chose to stay at Marseille.

“I think we’re going to go back in for him this summer for a much-reduced fee of around £15m.

“He kept Harry Kane out of the game very, very well, he’s a big lump, he’s not that old either. I liked the look of him. I think he would be a great signing if this comes off so watch this window.”

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Moyes was hopeful of securing the 6 foot 4 colossus for around £20m back in October and now he’s going to be available for far cheaper, meaning the Scot could be about to deliver the club yet another masterclass in the transfer market.

Arguably, one of his best signings since returning for his second spell at the Irons has been Vladimir Coufal, who cost only £5.5m, whilst Jesse Lingard’s loan spell was undoubtedly a major factor behind their impressive form.

Caleta-Car, who as Ex suggests, would be a great signing as the club will need to replace Fabian Balbuena without paying over the odds.

The 24-year-old would be a commanding and imposing presence at the back for the Hammers, having averaged 2.5 aerial duels won per outing in Ligue 1 this campaign, whilst he’s equally adept with the ball at his feet, managing a better pass success rate (86.1%) than any of Moyes’ current defenders.

All in all, £15m seems an absolute bargain considering they were willing to pay £5m more last summer and since then, he’s improved and is starting for this national side at a major tournament.

In Caleta-Car, Moyes could deliver West Ham their next transfer masterstroke.

AND in other news, Moyes could repeat GSB’s grave Haller mistake with swoop for 23-goal marksman…

Watford’s hopes of signing Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah this summer have taken a blow after Fabrizio Romano confirmed that he has been offered a new deal at the Emirates, news which will surely frustrate Hornets boss Xisco Munoz.

The Italian journalist shared the news on Twitter that Nketiah has received a new contract proposal from the Gunners, although Watford, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen are still pushing to sign him.

The Hornets have regularly been linked with a move for the young Englishman following their promotion back to the top-flight, although any potential summer deal for him now may have to be a loan one, should he accept a new contract with the North London outfit.

Nketiah’s current deal at Arsenal is set to expire at the end of next season and after a lack of first-team opportunities in Mikel Arteta’s side last season, the 22-year-old may well be keen for a permanent move away from the Emirates.

The England U21 international was limited to just four starts in the Premier League last season, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, but he would still manage six goals in all competitions.

He showed his class in a loan spell at Leeds United in the first half of the 2019/20 campaign as he hit five goals in 19 appearances but is still yet to establish himself as a regular at Arsenal, despite a superb record for England U21s, with whom he has hit 16 goals in just 17 appearances.

Despite promotion last season, Ismaila Sarr was Watford’s top scorer in the Championship with just 13 goals and the Hornets could do with an instinctive finisher such as Nketiah up front if they are to avoid relegation next season, as Andre Gray has struggled in the top-flight in the past, whilst Troy Deeney is arguably past his best as his career enters it’s twilight.

Therefore, it undoubtedly comes as a blow to Watford that the “incredible” Nketiah has been offered a new deal at Arsenal, as if he accepts it, then it seriously limits the chances of him making a permanent switch to Vicarage Road this summer.

And, in other news… Watford keen on experienced PL beast, he won’t cost a penny

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy after the Reds were linked with a summer move for Italy winger Domenico Berardi.

Jurgen Klopp will be working hard on potential transfers in the coming weeks and months, as his side try and wrestle the Premier League title back from Manchester City.

Liverpool have already added centre-back Ibrahima Konate to their ranks, but the hope is that more new faces arrive during the transfer window.

One area the Reds could look to add depth in is attack, especially as the likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggled so much last season.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Sassuolo star Berardi, who is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Italy.

The Serie A side want £42million for the 26-year-old’s services, after he scored 17 goals in Serie A in 2020/21.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy-2/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Berardi rumour

These Liverpool fans gave their thoughts on the news on Twitter, with negativity the order of the day.

“Lol. No”

Credit: @Gbemiga_A

“£42million????”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Wrong Sassuolo midfielder guys”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“Yeah when you look at that club he’s not the player you should be going for lol”

Credit: @1CraigFisher

“please no”

Credit: @AdamLFC27

“£42m for a bencher. Forget”

Credit: @NewHouse_NM

“He’s 27 soon makes no sense”

Credit: @lfcfelix_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a transfer update regarding a potential Reds target. Read more here.  

West Ham United will soon need to find a long-term successor to Mark Noble.

The long-serving Irons skipper will retire at the end of next season, drawing the curtain down on a phenomenal 18-year career in East London, where he has racked up over 520 appearances for his boyhood club.

At the age of 34, the midfielder has found game time hard to come by in recent months, starting only eight Premier League matches during the 2020/21 season but it’s believed his influence off the pitch is just as important as on it.

Even if he’s not featuring on the pitch, he’s going to be a very hard man to replace this time next year.

And it seems like David Moyes is already planning ahead as the Hammers have been linked to several central midfielders this transfer window, including another Czech sensation in Alex Kral.

Whilst other names include Manchester City unseen gem Yangel Herrera and Israeli international Dor Peretz.

But could the Scot have the perfect heir already at the club?

According to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, promising academy starlet Conor Coventry ‘will be looked at’ during pre-season and whilst it’s likely he is shipped out on loan to get valuable game time, he could well return at just the right time to succeed the retiring Irons legend.

The 22-year-old dynamo has been highlighted as a player with big potential by the Daily Mail’s secret scout in the past, claiming that he is ‘forceful in the tackle with a good range of passing’ and that he isn’t afraid to get forward either.

This very much draws some similarities to Noble in his prime.

Thomas has waxed lyrical about Coventry before, too. He described him as an “exciting talent” to The Athletic’s ‘U Irons’ podcast back in October.

“Obviously, when I was at the Southend v West Ham Under-23 game, David Moyes was there – and obviously Conor Coventry scored in that match, so he’s definitely someone Moyes is aware of and I think this is one of the reasons why they allowed Josh Cullen to leave.

“They’re looking at it like, ‘hey, we’ve got someone like Josh Cullen, younger, perhaps much better in terms of career prospects. So, we’re putting all our focus on him right now.'”

Furthermore, well-known fan page West Ham Central dubbed him the “next best thing” from the academy system to the Irish Post, adding that he has “excellent composure and leadership” and is “a real old head on young shoulders.”

All of which provide further positive signs as to why he may be able to fill the void left behind by Noble next year.

One more loan spell, then it could be time to promote Coventry into the first-team full-time.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops crushing transfer claim that’ll leave fans truly gutted… 

Liverpool have rejected a €5million (£4.3million) offer from Anderlecht for striker Taiwo Awoniyi but are nonetheless ‘edging closer’ to offloading him, according to David Lynch.

The lowdown

Awoniyi spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Union Berlin after earlier spells at FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, Gent and Mainz.

He’s been unable to play for Liverpool, having only recently secured his UK work permit.

The Nigerian was Union Berlin’s third-highest scorer with five goals, and he also contributed two assists (via BBC Sport).

After the £35million signing of Ibrahima Konate for RB Leipzig, it was reported that further Liverpool additions would be contingent on outgoings, meaning how much Michael Edwards gets for Awoniyi’s sale could be important.

The latest

‘A number of clubs’ are battling to sign Awoniyi, and Anderlecht attempted to move to the front of the queue with their bid.

But it fell short of Liverpool’s £8million asking price and was turned down.

There’s also interest from former clubs Union Berlin and Mainz, who unsuccessfully pursued another loan, as well as Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers are named as a possible destination, but any move depends on the future of incumbent no.9 Alfredo Morelos.

The 23-year-old’s preference is indeed a move to a club based in Germany or the UK.

The verdict

Liverpool and Edwards are right to stand firm on their £8million valuation. Awoniyi is a promising talent and with so much competition for his signature, there shouldn’t be a need to compromise.

This is a sale that could take their transfer earnings close to eight figures, with Liam Millar set to join Basel for £1.3million.

You’d think Liverpool’s next addition will be a squad player rather than a blockbuster name, so £10million could be a decent chunk of the necessary outlay.

In other news, fans were buzzing over links to this Englishman.  

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Kean Bryan to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Yorkshire Live, the Sheffield United manager Slavisa Jokanovic revealed that the out of contract centre-back is yet to sign a new deal with his side, despite the club having offered the defender a new contract at the end of last season.

In the interview, the 52-year-old stated: “I don’t know what is happening, I don’t know if this guy wants to stay or if this guy wants to leave. I don’t want this to complicate my team. He can go if he wants or he can offer his services to Sheffield United.”

Last month, The Sun reported that Bryan would be open to making a move to Valerien Ismael’s West Brom side this summer, with the Frenchman having targeted the former England U20 international during his time at Barnsley.

Ismael will be buzzing

While Bryan has not featured particularly often for Sheffield United following his move from Manchester City in August 2018, having made a total of just 19 appearances for the club, the 24-year-old certainly demonstrated towards the back end of last season that he is a centre-back who boasts a significant amount of potential.

Indeed, over his 13 Premier League appearances for Paul Heckingbottom’s side last term, the £3k-per-week man helped his side keep two clean sheets and made an average of one interception, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances per game, as well as winning an impressive 4.3 duels per fixture.

The £1.8m-rated defender also scored one goal and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per league game.

These returns saw the man whose former manager Chris Wilder dubbed a “talented” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as United’s 10th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, Bryan would very much appear to make a fantastic addition to West Brom’s options in the centre of defence next season.

And, when taking into account the former Manchester City starlet looks likely to be available on a free transfer, as well as Jokanvoic’s rather blunt comments regarding the 24-year-old’s future at Bramall Lane, Ismael is sure to be buzzing about his chances of landing the centre-back this summer.

In other news: West Brom plot bid for £12k-p/w beast with “so much potential”, Ismael would love him

Stoke City are interested in a move for Accrington Stanley talisman Dion Charles as they step up their summer recruitment drive, according to journalist Alan Nixon [via Stoke Sentinel].

The Lowdown: Stoke City gear up for new season

Moving into 2021/22, the Potters will be hoping to acquire the necessary personnel to mount a Championship promotion charge following a disappointing 14th-placed finish last term.

Making inroads on the transfer front, the Staffordshire outfit have tied up deals for former Watford centre-back Ben Wilmot, alongside free agent goalkeeper Jack Bonham, most recently of Gillingham [BBC].

Could they now be set to complete a third summer signing following recent developments?

The Latest: Potters interested in £2m move for Dion Charles

Stoke are said to be keen on a move for Accrington Stanley poacher Charles [Stoke Sentinel]

With the 25-year-old also said to be courting attention from Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Derby County, Rotherham United and Brentford, it could cost around £2m to prise him away from the Wham Stadium, as relayed by Nixon on Twitter [via Stoke Sentinel].

Charles has recently been capped by the Northern Ireland international side, making his debut against the United States in March [BBC].

The Verdict: Charles would be an excellent signing for Stoke

Requiring fresh impetus ahead of the forthcoming season, the 25-year-old would represent an excellent addition at the Britannia Stadium.

In 2020/21, he made an outstanding contribution to the Accrington Stanley cause, with 20 goals and four assists from 49 appearances in all competitions [Transfermarkt]. Albeit at a lower level than Stoke, that tally was beaten by only one Potters player last term [WhoScored].

Unsurprisingly, he recorded the largest shots per game average within the entire squad; weighing in with a whopping 2.7 per match [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘brilliant’ by his former Southport manager Liam Watson [Belfast Newsletter], Stoke should look to finalise Charles’ signature and add some firepower to their attack for a relatively low cost.

In other news, these Potters fans have been reacting to an update on a former Stoke City player.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were fuming with Jordan Jones after he was pictured at Wembley in the build-up to the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.

The Three Lions faced the Azzurri in their first European Championships final on Sunday. They ended up losing on penalties in front of 65,000 at Wembley, while there were thousands more around Wembley Way and in the streets of London.

The Gers have already started pre-season training, with Jones part of the squad for the preparations. However, despite receiving a seven-game ban for breaking Covid regulations last term (BBC), he apparently didn’t learn his lesson and was spotted outside England’s national stadium surrounded by hoards of supporters – not exactly the best thing to do as a professional footballer as the pandemic continues.

A photo of the Northern Ireland international was shared on Twitter by @bluesbrothers86 and it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the picture, with one supporter angrily labelling Jones a “waste of space”.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Jones’ trip to Wembley

“Let’s get that transfer sorted quickly.”

Credit: @MickBealesMole

“He’s clearly done at Rangers”

Credit: @georgej1971

“Can only assume he’s been told to find a new club, if not then he will be told to go find one after this”

Credit: @RyanKerr_1

“Showing his priorities here. Should be up here working to get into the team. Poor show.”

Credit: @Shamen360

“Never mind he should be in a bubble with his own team, he’s supposed to be in pre season training, not having a jolly to England.”

Credit: @Ml19dy76

“Waste of space. Should be training”

Credit: @jacktulloch5

In other news, this pundit hints at several Rangers departures.

Leicester City could be set for a significant blow over the coming months after reports claimed that Youri Tielemans has his sights set on a switch to Liverpool.

What’s the story?

According to Belgian outlet VOETBAL24, the 24-year-old is keen to join the Anfield outfit this summer and is already looking forward to linking up with Jurgen Klopp’s charges.

The report also claims that Tielemans has made his intentions known to all parties and that there’s a good chance the deal will be completed quickly, with a £64 million price tag muted.

Fans will be gutted

News that the midfield maestro is thought to have his heart set on an imminent exit will surely leave the Leicester fans feeling gutted.

Tielemans has established himself as a pivotal player for the Foxes since his arrival back in January 2019, scoring 17 goals and providing 19 assists in 108 appearances for the Midlands outfit.

The Belgium international had his most impressive season yet last term, featuring in every Premier League game as Leicester finished fifth, while he also scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final.

His underlying numbers were also impressive, though. Tielemans averaged 2.3 tackles per league game, 1.3 key passes and 65.2 passes, placing him in the top three compared to his teammates for each metric.

Therefore, his departure from the King Power Stadium would leave a huge hole in the club’s engine room, one that Brendan Rodgers would find almost impossible to fill.

Although Leicester have routinely sold one of their best players each summer for several seasons now, losing Tielemans would be a bitter blow to their current aspirations.

The departures of N’Golo Kante, Harry Maguire and Riyad Mahrez helped finance their recent progress and success, but the time has now come for the club to keep hold of their star players if they want to make the next leap and break into the top four on a consistent basis.

Consecutive fifth-place finishes in the top-flight illustrate how close Leicester are to breaking into the top four and achieving a place in the Champions League.

If they want to return to Europe’s elite cup competition, then they have to stop selling their key players to domestic rivals, and keeping hold of Tielemans this summer would send a powerful message.

And, in other news…Rudkin could find Leicester’s new Morgan with swoop for £20m ace, fans will be buzzing