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Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks to sign West Ham United’s highly-rated young forward Sonny Perkins.

What’s the word

That is according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update over the transfer saga surrounding the 18-year-old, saying: “Leeds and Aston Villa have opened talks to sign promising forward Sonny Perkins. Perkins has made 3 appearances for West Ham. Both clubs want to sign him.”

The Villans will face stern competition from Leeds United, who may be able to offer the prospect a clearer path to first team football.

As per a report from Inside Futbol, the Whites are looking to splash cash on academy recruitment this summer, which appears to be the biggest stumbling block for Villa in this transfer race as it stands.

Gerrard surely buzzing

Amidst what seems to be a mini-rebuild at Villa Park, Gerrard will likely be eager to sign another forward to provide some much needed depth up top.

A prospect like Perkins could offer just that, so long as he would be willing to play a bit-part role as an understudy to the likes of Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, of course.

The teenager has enjoyed a solid campaign, spending the majority of his time with the Hammers’ under-23s, for whom he notched one assist in 21 appearances in Premier League 2.

His performances have not gone unnoticed by David Moyes, who has given him well-earned minutes in the first team this season, with Perkins playing 99 minutes in the Europa League, having started the home game against Dinamo Zagreb.

At the age of 18 and given his solid return for the reserves, the starlet could now be looking for regular minutes at first-team level, although it remains to be seen as to whether West Ham, Aston Villa or Leeds could promise him that.

Perkins is definitely one to watch for the future, and if Gerrard manages to prize the asset from the clutches of Moyes, he will be buzzing to have bagged himself a potential future star, while also weakening a Premier League rival.

In other news: Gerrard must pounce on Villa swoop for £263k-p/w “stallion” who supporters would love

A move to Manchester City for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is now looking more likely, according to reliable reporter Ian Abrahams.

The Lowdown: Man City reportedly make Phillips offer

City have been heavily linked with a move for the 26-year-old over recent weeks, with the Premier League champions identifying the Leeds star as an ideal replacement for Fernandinho.

Pep Guardiola is thought to be a ‘huge’ fan of Phillips, with reports earlier this week claiming that the Etihad Stadium club have now made a formal offer.

A bid in the region of £50m could well be enough for Leeds to part ways with the defensive midfielder, who is entering the final two years of his current contract.

The Latest: Abrahams shares Phillips update

Abrahams took to Twitter late on Wednesday evening to provide an update regarding Phillips’ future.

He said: “From what I’m hearing it’s looking more likely now Kalvin Phillips could be set to leave @LUFC for @ManCity this summer.”

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The Verdict: Inevitable?

It does look as if a move to the Etihad is gathering pace for Phillips, with Transfermarkt citing the probability of such a deal at 63%.

City are visualising an agreement at around £45m to £50m, and should one materialise, it is vital that Leeds reinvest those funds over the coming months.

Marc Roca is set to become the Whites’ third signing of the summer but was viewed as competition for Phillips and not a replacement, so Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta may need a further two central midfielders to truly replace the England international.

In other news: Radrizzani and 49ers ready to pay fee for ‘huge’ talent as Orta works on next Leeds move

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Alphonse Areola in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to RMC Sport live feed, via The Sun, PIF are in contact with PSG are they attempt to negotiate a deal to snap the Frenchman up ahead of West Ham.

Areola spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan to the Hammers and they are said to have an £11m option to make it permanent, but the Magpies are now in talks to usurp them.

The Sun add that the club are trying to cash in on both Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman as they look to provide Martin Dubravka with more competition.

Eddie Howe would love him

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe would surely love the French shot-stopper at St. James’ Park next season as he would be an excellent addition to his goalkeeping unit.

Despite playing second-fiddle to Lukasz Fabianski in the Premier League, he caught the eye whilst playing for the Hammers last term.

In the top-flight and in the Europa League over the last 365 days, he ranks in the 99th percentile for goals conceded and goals conceded in comparison to post-shot expected goals per 90 and this shows that his shot-stopping was amongst the best in Europe.

He also ranks in the 91st percentile for clean sheet percentage and in the 95th percentile for save percentage, showing that he was exceptional when called upon by David Moyes.

In his Fozcast podcast (5:05) with Jarrod Bowen, ex-England goalkeeper Ben Foster dubbed Areola an “absolute specimen” in terms of how he is built. His strong physique may be a factor behind his impressive displays in Europe and indicates that he has the build to excel in the Premier League against powerful strikers.

He proved this in the 2020/21 campaign as he played 36 matches in the division on loan at Fulham and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.94. The gem saved 71% of the shots against him and kept nine clean sheets as he showcased his talent in the English top-flight.

Howe would, therefore, love to have him at Newcastle as he is a proven goalkeeper at the top level who will be able to come in and push Dubravka for his place. He has shown that he can perform in the Europa League and the Premier League and the head coach will know that he can trust him to deliver on a regular basis.

AND in other news, NUFC can land their own Foden in deal for “explosive” £30m dynamo, he’s “dangerous”…

It appears that the Christian Eriksen transfer saga isn’t ceasing anytime soon as news emerges involving Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs in contention?

Conflicting reports on the Dane’s future have come to light in the past few days as Spurs continue their chase for more summer signings after completing Yves Bissouma’s move from Brighton.

Sharing news at the weekend, The Athletic reporter Charlie Eccleshare claimed that Eriksen’s return to north London appeared ‘fairly likely’, but another reliable source in football.london’s Alasdair Gold then came out to distance the club from a reunion with the player.

Other reports have since suggested that Tottenham remain firmly in contention to sign the 30-year-old, with The Guardian now sharing their own update.

The Latest: Eriksen stance shared…

The news source reported that Eriksen is keen to join Spurs, with their reporter Jamie Jackson making a claim.

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Indeed, the Bees playmaker is apparently ‘favouring’ either a reunion under his former Inter boss Antonio Conte in north London or simply staying at Brentford. This comes after the Denmark international allegedly rejected a move to Manchester United.

The Verdict: Take advantage?

As this update emerges that Spurs could still have a chance to re-sign Eriksen, we believe that the Lilywhites should re-consider their alleged stance on moving for him.

Heralded as a ‘fighter’ by sports journalist Thierry Nyann for his fairytale comeback after suffering a cardiac arrest last year, the Denmark footballing legend’s elite mentality is perhaps best summed up by this tag.

Conte could certainly use players with this extraordinary determination, not to mention quality, as highlighted by Eriksen finishing 2021/22 as Brentford’s best performer by average match rating, as per WhoScored.

There is little doubt in our mind the £159k-per-week star would be a real asset for Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has confirmed that the club are not planning to make a bid for Gabriel Jesus this summer.

The Lowdown: Jesus on the move

The Brazilian, dubbed ‘brilliant’ by pundit Kevin Campbell after a stunning display against Liverpool, is destined for an Etihad exit after informing City earlier in the season of his desire to leave the Premier League champions with just 12 months remaining on his contract.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to a few different clubs as a result of this news, including the Lilywhites and more predominantly their north London rivals Arsenal, but after a fresh update, it sounds as though Spurs no longer want to pursue anything serious.

The Latest: Spurs withdraw interest

Taking to Twitter, Gold revealed Tottenham’s stance on the Jesus transfer situation and wrote: “Spurs are not planning to make a bid for Gabriel Jesus.”

Further expanding in his column for football.london, the reporter claimed that whilst Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy are ‘admirers’ of the forward, ‘no bid has gone in for him’, and there are currently ‘no plans’ to change that, with their priorities lying ‘elsewhere’.

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The Verdict: Conte’s striker search

Antonio Conte must have a new striker pretty high up on his wish-list this window as he continues his search to find a partner for Harry Kane, but Jesus clearly isn’t the one he wants.

It’s not a question of whether he’s prolific enough in the final third because he made 25 goal contributions in all competitions for City last season, but it’s likely that his wage demands or transfer fee would be considerably higher than that of either Raphinha or Richarlison, two other strikers that Spurs have been credited interest with in recent weeks.

The 56-cap international will receive more game time with the Gunners as a result of the Lacazette and Aubameyang departures, so with Tottenham not set to make a move for Jesus, it’s just a matter of waiting to see who the hierarchy will decide to go all-in on before the opening day of the 2022/23 campaign.

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has made a claim involving Liverpool and a potential reigniting of interest in Chelsea star Timo Werner. 

The lowdown: Klopp meeting

Prior to making a move to the Premier League from RB Leipzig, the Reds were heavily linked with Werner and Jurgen Klopp reportedly even held a meeting with his compatriot regarding the proposed switch.

Ultimately, the 26-year-old speedster headed to Stamford Bridge and Liverpool landed Diogo Jota from Wolves in the same summer, with the latter proving to be a huge success on Merseyside.

Now, having struggled to recapture his Bundesliga goalscoring form in England, Werner has once again been linked with an Anfield arrival.

The latest: Torres 2.0?

Football Insider reported last month that the Reds are ‘plotting a shock move’ for Werner, and ex-Aston Villa frontman and regular talkSPORT contributor Agbonlahor has been reacting in a chat with the same outlet.

The 35 year-old said: “I don’t think Timo Werner is an option for Liverpool. Yes, [Roberto] Firmino is not playing his best football and might leave but Timo Werner has shown at Chelsea he is short of confidence in front of goal.

“He reminds me a bit of Fernando Torres when he was at Chelsea and really struggled with the basics. He was such a good player at Liverpool but then a totally different player for Chelsea, it was like someone had taken his powers.

“Timo Werner looks like a different player to who Liverpool signed. I don’t think where Liverpool are, ahead of Chelsea in terms of squad quality, I don’t think they would want to sign a player who is not good enough for Chelsea.

“I don’t see that happening and I think they dodged a bullet when they were first interested in him.”

The verdict: Consider it?

Whilst a move for the £31.5million valued whirlwind frontman from a bona fide Premier League rival does seem farfetched, Werner still possesses all of the qualities and the versatility to be of great benefit to Klopp’s attacking ranks.

Last season the German – who was hailed as a ‘special player’ by former TSV Steinhaldenfeld head of football Michael Bulling – scored 11 times and provided six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions but was often criticised for a failure to convert chances – the striker is underperforming his career 103.13 expected goals by netting on 97 occasions in league action.

Despite the perceived issues in front of goal, Werner’s ability to play across the frontline, frightening pace and Klopp’s ability to improve players would make the former Stuttgart man an exciting addition to this current Liverpool squad.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Raphinha.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, despite the 25-year-old being heavily linked with a move to both Arsenal and Barcelona this summer, Chelsea have now reached an agreement with the Whites regarding a deal for the Brazil international – with the fee believed to be in the region of £65m.

In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “Chelsea and Leeds have reached full agreement for Raphinha! Official bid accepted around £60/65m [add ons included]. Main part of amount to be paid immediately. It’s done between clubs. Talks now ongoing on player side on personal terms and contract. [Todd] Boehly, on it.”

Supporters will be gutted

While Raphinha’s departure from Elland Road this summer looked all but a certainty after Leeds’ poor showing in the league last time out, Romano’s latest update on Chelsea’s move for the 25-year-old is nevertheless sure to have left supporters of the Whites gutted.

Indeed, following the winger’s £17m move to LS11 back in October of 2020, he became an instant hit with the Elland Road faithful as a result of his electric energy, his incredible skill with the ball at his feet and his clinical nature in the final third.

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Over his 30 Premier League appearances during his debut campaign, the £40.5m-rated forward made an immediate impact, scoring six goals, providing nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 2.1 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the Brazilian average an exceptionally impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, not only ranking him as the Whites’ second-best outfielder in the top flight but also as the joint 30th-best performer in the league as a whole.

Then, last season, despite Leeds’ fight for survival, the £63k-per-week talent once again stole the show over his 35 league fixtures last season, notching 11 goals, registering three assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.5 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per fixture.

These returns saw the nine-cap international earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the Whites’ second-best outfielder in the Premier League once again – playing an influential role in the Whites securing survival on the final day of the season.

As such, while Leeds supporters will know in their heart of hearts that Raphinha was always destined for bigger and better things, Romano’s claim that the 25-year-old is now closing in on a move to west London will still come as a gutting blow, as Elland Road will undoubtedly be a less exciting visit for the absence of the winger next season.

AND in other news: Phil Hay now reveals “serious” Leeds transfer development, supporters will be buzzing

Manchester United are reportedly thinking of making a move for free agent Paulo Dybala, should Cristiano Ronaldo leave Old Trafford.

The Lowdown: Eriksen agreement

The Red Devils have finally made a transfer breakthrough ahead of Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge, with left-back Tyrell Malacia becoming the first signing of the summer.

Another could be on the way soon in free agent Christian Eriksen, dubbed ‘world-class’ by former Brentford teammate Pontus Jansson, who has reportedly verbally agreed to join Ten Hag’s side.

Dybala is another player without a club after his Juventus contract expired. Rumours of a move to Manchester have popped up again with Ronaldo reportedly wanting to leave the club over the coming months.

The Latest: United eyeing Dybala

Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb shared an update regarding Dybala on Tuesday lunchtime.

They claimed ‘decisive days’ for Dybala’s future are ahead and have found rumours from England in the last few hours over a possible move to Old Trafford. The report adds that United are thinking of Dybala to come in for Ronaldo, with Ten Hag a fan of the available Argentine.

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The Verdict: Time to act

Both AC Milan and Inter Milan were also name-checked in the latest Dybala report, so United chiefs may need to act fast if they want to sign the 28-year-old.

Described as ‘world-class’ and ‘phenomenal’ by former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson, Dybala has scored 147 goals for club and country during his career and can play anywhere in attack.

That versatility could come in handy at Old Trafford, however, the Red Devils may not have the luxury of moving Ronaldo on before approaching Dybala, as he may already agree on terms with a new club.

Tottenham Hotspur could sign a new attacking midfielder before the transfer deadline on September 1st.

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who believes the north London outfit are open to finding a no.10 but are not desperate to do so this summer.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think the 10 is an interesting one for Tottenham. It’s a position they are open to, but I don’t think they’re especially desperate for one right now.”

Spurs have been linked to several names in this profile of target and perhaps the most intriguing is Jesse Lingard, who the Telegraph claim is a key target due to his homegrown status.

The 29-year-old dynamo left his boyhood club, Manchester United, after over two decades and now finds himself as a free-agent, meaning he would not cost chairman Daniel Levy a penny in terms of a transfer fee.

Lingard’s versatility is another key factor behind the Lilywhites’ interest as he can play in a multitude of roles, ranging from no.10 to out wide and even upfront.

But it’s in attacking midfield that he could thrive as statistical website FBref liken his playing style to that of Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard, so sporting director Fabio Paratici could secure his very own carbon copy of the arch-rival star.

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The England international ranks very favourably compared to his positional peers across Europe – he sits amongst the top 1% for pressures (26.35 per 90), the top 3% for passes completion (85.8% per 90) and the top 4% for tackles (2.41 per 90), also via FBref.

These returns would suggest that Lingard could be a perfect fit for Conte’s system as he can evidently press from the front, even often winning the ball back and clearly possesses playmaking capabilities.

We saw glimpses of that during a loan spell at West Ham United, where he delivered nine goals and five assists from 16 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

“He’s a special lad and was very good around the players, the players really like him. His ability shone out last year and gave us a great option in our squad,” claimed former Irons assistant Stuart Pearce to talkSPORT.

Meanwhile, talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham lauded him as “absolutely phenomenal” for his form at the London Stadium.

Given that Spurs could pick up a player that’s valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt for nothing, it seems a low-risk and no-brainer move from Paratici and co at Hotspur Way.

In Lingard, they could find their very own Odegaard, a player capable of filling that no.10 void at Tottenham, without paying a penny. It makes the world of sense.

AND in other news, £16.6m wasted: Conte must axe £50k-p/w Spurs passenger who Pochettino dubbed “perfect”…

With Chelsea linked with plenty of Europe’s top centre-backs, and having already secured Kalidou Koulibaly, it seems likely that one of their hot young prospects will now look for the exit door.

Plenty of Premier League clubs have been linked with Levi Colwill after his fine loan spell at Huddersfield, with Nottingham Forest planning a move for the 19-year-old should he see his future away from Stamford Bridge.

Steve Cooper would be delighted to capture the £5k-per-week defender who already has experience playing in a back three, as he was instrumental in the Terriers’ run to the play-off final.

To place the classy character next to a true leader like Joe Worrall could also prove to be a stroke of genius, and the two could strike a brilliant partnership that could fire Forest to first-season safety.

Colwill featured 29 times last season in the league for Huddersfield and was part of a defence that conceded just 47 goals in 46 games.

Across the season, his form earned him an average SofaScore rating of 7.10. Possessing huge reliability wrapped in pure quality, he would marry well with Worrall, who earned a similar 7.07 SofaScore rating.

The stand-in Forest captain does boast slightly better defensive stats, with 1.8 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game. Conversely, Colwill boasts a 78% pass completion rate and a 76% dribble success rate.

The stats suggest they are a match made in heaven, and supporters would surely delight in seeing two young, hungry, up-and-coming English talents side-by-side.

Another of Forest’s targets, Harry Toffolo, was vocal in his praise for the youngster. He said: “He’s someone who is going to go on to massive things within the game, but he’s not only got the ability: his personality is incredible for an 18-year-old.”

His head coach Carlos Corberan also suggested that “I think he’s going to be one of the most important centre-backs for this country in the future.”

Incredibly high praise, and something which Cooper should keep in mind when pursuing this transfer. His value could skyrocket, so he should delight fans by investing in Colwill now to form a perfect defensive partnership between him and Worrall.

AND, in other news: David Ornstein: Forest working on “quality” £10m signing, £7.1k-p/w dud could be axed.