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Aston Villa have been linked with Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze and he could be a dream first signing for Unai Emery at his new club.

Recent reports have claimed that the Spanish boss is keen on a reunion with the Nigerian wide man, who starred under his management at El Madrigal.

During Emery’s time with the Yellow Submarine, Chukwueze would make 94 appearances, in which he contributed an impressive 14 goals and 15 assists, so it is no surprise that the former Arsenal boss wants to bring him to the Premier League.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke discussed Villa’s chances of signing the Nigeria international in a recent interview with Football FanCast.

He said: “When you get a new manager at a club they always look to sign players that they have worked with before and know. Chukwueze would be one of those that Emery trusts for Villa.

“He is looking to improve Aston Villa’s attacking output and Chukwueze would definitely add to them. He’s a tricky winger who can score goals and provide goals. He’s someone who would definitely add some pace to the Villa attack as well.”

FBRef’s scouting report of the Villarreal youngster emphasises the attacking quality and creativity that he could add at Villa Park should he make the move to the Premier League in January.

Chukwueze scores in the 99th percentile when compared to other wingers from Europe’s top leagues in a number of attacking statistics, including non-penalty expected goals and assists, dribbles completed and touches in the attacking penalty box, which demonstrates exactly what he could add to Emery’s squad.

Villa have won both Premier League games under Emery thus far and the Spaniard will no doubt be looking to bolster his squad in January as he looks to push the Villans up the table.

Of the current wing options in Villa’s squad, only Leon Bailey has managed more than one goal contribution in the league this season, with Emiliano Buendia and Philippe Coutinho both struggling for consistent form.

Therefore, Chukwueze could be a dream first signing for Emery as Villa boss, especially as he is already well aware of what the Nigerian can offer.

West Bromwich Albion seem to have a fine crop of youth talent just waiting to burst into the first team, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman standing as the benchmark for which they will all hope to follow.

The 20-year-old has recently burst onto the scene marketed as a hard-working midfielder with an eye for goal, outlined in his goal and assist against Reading.

However, in Jamie Andrews, Carlos Corberan could unearth his own goal-scoring midfielder who could even surpass the recent academy graduate.

Before earning his promotion, Garner-Hickman had scored six and assisted four across 34 games for the U21s side.

To compare with the 20-year-old who will soon be vying for his place in the side, just this season has Andrews reached five goal contributions, and in eight fewer games has already surpassed the tally set by his predecessor.

Not only this, but he has spent two loan spells earning him vital senior experience at both Yeovil Town and Leamington FC.

It could stand him in good stead to make an instant impact should he soon be promoted into the first team, rather than the bedding-in period that seems to have occurred with the England U20s international.

Those two goal contributions aforementioned are his first and only across 34 games for the club.

With a system that played to his strengths set up by Richard Beale, who went on to be caretaker manager following Steve Bruce’s sacking, Andrews spoke to West Brom’s official club website to endorse their tactics and his development.

He said: “I want to take the next step now, whatever that may be. At the moment I’m in the U23s and putting my head down doing the best I can to try and push myself on. 

“This year we’ve got more men in midfield which allows me to get outside the box and land on balls further up the pitch. It gives me more of a license to get forward and I like how it gets me more involved in our attacks now.”

The confidence he has in his own ability, plus the eye for goal he clearly boasts, should make him a likely candidate to be the next to step up for Corberan once they are free from danger.

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham fears Lucas Moura’s most recent injury setback is a ‘massive’ blow for Antonio Conte and Spurs.

The Lowdown: Moura’s injury

The Brazilian is currently suffering from a calf injury which he sustained in mid-August, having last played for the Lilywhites against Chelsea in the Premier League nearly two months ago.

Prior to the injury, the 30-year-old had played just 12 minutes of football for Tottenham this season, having fallen down the pecking order at Hotspur Way following the January arrival of Dejan Kulusevski and the summer arrival of Richarlison.

However, as quoted by Spurs Play after the Lilywhites’ disappointing 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Saturday, Conte admitted: “Moura, I’m really worried because he’s really far to recover”.

The Latest: Another setback

With Spurs’ schedule set to become all-the-more hectic in the coming months, Wenham, an insider who breaks news on his Lilywhite Rose social channels, worries Conte’s squad options will be too thin with Moura’s injury absence.

Speaking with Football Insider, the N17 pundit said:

“Conte seemed very, very worried about Moura’s latest knock.

“I was surprised he wasn’t in the squad yesterday because he has been back in training for the last weekend and a half.

“It seems like he has picked up a knock in the final session before the Arsenal game. People might say to me that Lucas Moura doesn’t start anyway.

“We have so many games coming up until the World Cup, we need all of our options. The fact is that against Arsenal the only attacking option we could have brought on was Bryan Gil.

“Conte has made it abundantly clear that he is not fit for Premier League football. It shows we need Lucas back desperately, it’s a massive blow that he is unavailable.

“I hope it’s weeks rather than months.”

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The Verdict: Major blow

When looking at Moura’s underlying stats, it is easy to see where Wenham is coming from, with numerous figures illustrating his ability to perform at the top level.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the winger ranks in the 95th percentile for assists and aerials won per 90, in the 92nd percentile for expected goals assisted and in the 85th percentile for clearances made, offering a good mixture of creativity and defensive work rate.

With current injuries/suspensions to Kulusevski and Emerson Royal, Moura would have been an incredibly useful option for Conte to have at his disposal, as he could be utilised in either position due to his varied skill set.

Spurs will be hoping the rest of their wide players can stay fit; otherwise, they could be in serious trouble.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s chances of landing Goncalo Ramos ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies target is set to be available for a fee in the region of £25m as a host of teams sniff around his services.

The report names Manchester United, Newcastle and Bayern Munich among the interested parties, with the Red Devils having already made contact with the player’s representatives.

It is stated that he has a £100m release clause in his contract at Benfica but the Portuguese outfit are willing to cash in on him for £75m less than that figure.

Big Chris Wood upgrade

Eddie Howe must push to land a deal for Ramos in the January window as the 21-year-old has the potential to be a big upgrade on Chris Wood.

Football scout Jacek Kulig previously described the gem as “incredibly prolific” and his form for Benfica and Portugal justifies that comment.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Ramos has plundered eight goals and five assists in 12 competitive appearances in all competitions for the Portuguese side.

He had made his step up to the first team after producing 27 goals and nine assists in 55 outings across various youth levels, scoring 22 in 71 matches since making his senior bow.

The youngster has also caught the eye at international level. In 33 caps for Portugal at U19 and U21 level, he has found the back of the net an eye-catching 23 times – highlighting his exceptional ability in front of goal.

At the age of 21, he has shown that he has huge potential as he has been able to translate his prolific youth form into Benfica’s senior team. He has plenty of time left ahead of him to hone and develop his skills and could be a terrific signing for Newcastle, if he is able to adapt to English football.

Chris Wood, meanwhile, has struggled badly in front of goal since his £25m move to St. James’ Park from Burnley in January earlier this year. He has scored two goals and failed to register a single assist in 24 Premier League outings for the Magpies to date and has found himself behind Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson in the pecking order.

The New Zealand international has not offered much at the top end of the pitch and that is why Ramos could be a big upgrade on the dud. Wood, 30, is not an up-and-coming player like the Benfica gem, 21, and this means that the Magpies could improve their team in the immediate term and in the future by making this switch.

Ramos would also suit Howe’s pressing style of play as he has been described as an aggressive and determined presser from the front, whereas Wood is distinctly average in this sense – ranking in the 57th percentile among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days for pressures per 90.

Leeds United look set to seal a deal to make Rory Mahady their ninth new addition at Elland Road in the summer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that, despite the interest of Manchester City, Victor Orta has now reached a full agreement on personal terms with the 16-year-old Celtic goalkeeper – who is set to join the Whites on an initial scholarship deal that will become a professional contract upon his 17th birthday in August 2023.

The report goes on to state that the teenager could have signed professional terms with the reigning Scottish champions earlier this month, however, the shot-stopper has now decided against penning a deal at Parkhead in favour of a move south of the border – and specifically to Thorp Arch.

Orta masterclass

Considering just how much time, effort and money Orta has put into signing some of the most exciting young talents to develop in the Whites’ youth sides over the course of his five-year spell as the director of football at Elland Road, the reported deal for Mahady is just the latest transfer masterclass the Spaniard has pulled off regarding the signing of future Leeds stars.

Indeed, the 43-year-old is the man responsible for the signings of players such as Pascal Struijk, Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville, Cody Drameh, Lewis Bate, Leo Hjelde, Sonny Perkins, Illan Meslier and Darko Gyabi – all of whom were teenagers upon their arrival at Thorp Arch and have already played some sort of role in first-team football for the club.

As such, it is clear to see that Orta has an incredibly sharp eye when it comes to identifying talents for the future, something that will not only benefit Jesse Marsch’s playing squad in the long-term but also the Whites’ accounts, as it would appear extremely likely that a number of the aforementioned youngsters will attract admiring glances from bigger clubs further down the line – as evidenced by Manchester United’s recent interest in a move for Meslier.

And, considering the amount of hype surrounding the highly-rated Mahady – with the Scotland U17 international having been dubbed a “starlet” by Football Scotland’s Mark Hendry, not to mention being talented enough to reportedly catch the eye of both Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur – it would seem as if Orta has sealed another masterclass in convincing the 16-year-old of a move to Leeds this summer.

Indeed, while only time will tell as to whether Mahady has what it takes to become the Whites’ number one in the future, one thing is for sure – the Spanish director of football has once again tempted one of the United Kingdom’s most exciting talents to LS11 ahead of some of the biggest clubs going, a quite astonishing feat.

Aston Villa are ‘still interested’ in signing Chelsea’s Ross Barkley this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Surplus to requirements

Barkley, who Frank Lampard described as ‘first-class’ back in 2020, is into the final 12 months of his Stamford Bridge contract.

The attacking midfielder is reportedly free to find a new club which would bring an end to his four-and-a-half-year stay with the Blues.

Villa took the 28-year-old on loan for the 2020/21 campaign, and it appears as if Johan Lange is keen on bringing the player back to the Midlands.

The Latest: Phillips’ post

Phillips took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to provide an update on Barkley’s situation.

The journalist, who linked Villa with a move last weekend, confirmed that Steven Gerrard’s side are ‘still interested’ in a transfer but face competition from the likes of Brighton, Newcastle, West Ham and Everton, while Celtic have now made a ‘permanent’ offer.

The Verdict: Avoid?

Barkley has scored 52 senior goals for club and country during his career, three of which came when playing for Villa. However, Gerrard seems fairly well-stocked when it comes to attacking midfielders with Philippe Coutinho and Emi Buendia, so a move for Barkley doesn’t appear to be crucial.

The club could be better off looking to bolster their central midfield or centre-forward ranks instead, with Gerrard using a 4-3-1-2 system in the win over Everton.

Should he continue with that system, you could argue that Barkley would be third choice behind Coutinho and Buendia, so may not get much game time.

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Fulham have sent out scouts to watch Ludovic Ajorque in action ahead of a potential move to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Star of the show

The 6 foot 6 striker was involved in Strasbourg’s 3-0 pre-season victory over Liverpool last weekend, grabbing an assist in what was a surprising result for the Ligue 1 outfit.

Despite still having two years remaining on his contract in France, his performance at Anfield appeared to have impressed a host of top-flight clubs who were in attendance, with the Cottagers being one of those name-checked.

The Latest: Fulham on Ajorque watch

As quoted on the Sky Sports Transfer Centre, Solhekol shared that Fulham sent representatives to watch Ajorque against Liverpool, but face stiff competition for his signature.

“A player who we could be hearing a lot more from in the next couple of weeks played against Liverpool for Strasbourg at the weekend.

“He’s a striker called Ludovic Ajorque, 6ft 6in striker with a very good scoring record for them, is available for £18m.

“I’m told the clubs that watched him yesterday were Wolves, Everton, Leicester, West Ham, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle. He’s someone we might be hearing a lot more from.”

The Verdict: An absolute steal

Marco Silva will now be in the final stages of preparing his squad for their return to the Premier League, and he will need all of the attacking firepower he can get if he wants to successfully keep his team in the division.

Ajorque, labelled a ‘beast physically’ by Daily Express writer Alessandro Schiavone, has the ability to provide an extra threat along with Aleksandar Mitrovic in the final third with his towering height, netting 12 league goals and registering eight assists for Strasbourg last season, via Transfermarkt.

With the asking price only being £18m, this would be an absolute bargain for the Fulham boss, affording him the chance to rest Mitrovic without losing the team’s focal point, or even deploy the pair together to potentially cause absolute mayhem at set pieces.

Aston Villa delivered their transfer business as quickly as possible this summer with five new signings, however, they could be about to make one more move after a new development emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, Manchester City are considering sending James McAtee out on loan this summer.

As per the report, the Midlands side have been named alongside several Premier League clubs including Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton as interested in the Man City youngster.

McAtee has received an overwhelming amount of loan offers which has led to the Premier League champions to consider the potential of their player getting 12 months of first-team football to further his development.

He’s better than Chukwuemeka

Villa are currently struggling to keep hold of their very own young prodigy Carney Chukwuemeka with the player rejecting the opportunity to extend his contract which expires in June 2023.

As a result, there has been huge interest in the youngster and he is expected to leave the club imminently to move onto his next challenge, but instead of dwelling on their loss Steven Gerrard could sign a new and improved Chukwuemeka in McAtee, who could play a key part in the team next season.

McAtee has been impressing the world of football and last season made his senior Premier League debut under Pep Guardiola in a 3-0 victory over Everton in November 2021, as well as making his Champions League debut with a 45-minute appearance against Sporting CP in the round of 16 too.

The talented attacking midfielder who was hailed a “massive talent” by journalist Jonathan Smith, has already made 98 appearances and scored 44 goals in his rise through Man City’s youth system and has earned six England caps in the U18s and U20s so far.

McAtee was the top goal scorer in the Premier League 2 last season, scoring 18 goals and delivering seven assists in just 23 appearances, with a goal contribution every 79 minutes, proving that he is now potentially ready for his step up to first-team football.

If Gerrard can secure a loan deal for McAtee and offer him the first-team football that would convince Man City to part ways with their star for a season it could be a major coup for Villa and give them even more attacking options.

With that being said, this could be a huge opportunity for Villa to not only save millions on a new signing but also potentially boost the goal contributions within the team when the side return to action next month.

AND in other news: Gerrard could unearth his younger self in Villa bid for “special” £100k-p/w “talent”

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has been reacting to the signing of Richarlison, which was confirmed by the club on Friday morning.

The Lowdown: Spurs unveil Richarlison

The Brazilian’s Everton exit always seemed inevitable, with the Toffees only just narrowly managing to escape Premier League relegation last season.

There were several top-flight clubs interested in securing the forward’s services, predominantly Chelsea and Arsenal, but it was the Lilywhites who ended up beating their London rivals to win the race for his signature after it was officially announced on Friday that the 25-year-old had put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Spurs.

The Latest: Gold reacts

Taking to Twitter, Gold shared his excitement about Richarlison’s move and is looking forward to seeing what other transfer business Spurs complete this window.

Quoting a tweet directly from the club unveiling the former Goodison Park man, the reporter wrote:

“That’s number four done, it’s July 1 and there’s more to come. What has happened to Tottenham Hotspur?”

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The Verdict: A fresh creative outlet

Richarlison now becomes Tottenham’s fourth summer signing, following in the footsteps of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma as Antonio Conte continues to create his new-look squad ahead of next season.

The striker was the standout performer in a struggling Everton side under Frank Lampard, muserting 16 goal contributions in 33 appearances across all competitions last term, as per Transfermarkt, highlighting how prolific he can be in the final third.

Spurs do have plenty of attacking prowess in Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, but Richarlison has the versatility to play either on the flank or down the middle, so his arrival will create a fresh new outlet for the Italian up top, who will need all the numbers he can get with the extra fixtures once the Champions League campaign begins.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has delivered a fresh update on Celtic’s interest in Lommel SK midfielder Vinicius Souza.

The Lowdown: Celtic monitoring Souza

The Brazilian first joined the Belgian outfit when he made the move from Flamengo two years ago, but ended up spending the entirety of the 2021/22 season out on loan at KV Mechelen in a bid to find some much-needed game time.

Even though the 23-year-old’s contract with Lommel isn’t set to expire until 2025, this need for regular minutes has seen him being linked with a move away from the Limburg-based side in recent weeks, in particular to the Scottish Premiership, with the maestro believed to be on the wish-list of the Hoops.

The Latest: Joseph’s transfer update

Taking to Twitter, Joseph shared a new update on Celtic’s interest in Souza, with the player ‘keen’ to assess all his options before making a decision. He wrote:

“Celtic are interested in Lommel SK defensive midfielder Vinicius Souza but face competition from a number of clubs, including PSV, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge and Bologna.

“PSV made a formal approach to Lommel earlier this week.

“It’s understood the player wants to play in Europe next season, but has some reservations about moving to the Scottish Premiership.

“However, he is keen to take time to explore all his options.”

The Verdict: Bitton replacement

Despite Souza having doubts about making the switch to Glasgow as a result of wanting to play at the highest level, let’s not forget that the Bhoys have qualified for the Champions League and will be showcasing their talent on the world stage next season, something that surely has to attract potential new signings.

The Rio de Janeiro-born talent was once dubbed “incredible” at breaking up attacks by Belgian footballer Steven Defour, and the evidence supports that – his 3.8 tackles per game in Belgium are far more than any Celtic player managed last season.

He could be an ideal replacement for Nir Bitton, with Ange Postecoglou now on the lookout for a new holding midfielder since the 30-year-old’s departure.

Lommel, his parent club, are owned by the City Football Group, which the Hoops’ new head of recruitment, Mark Lawwell, was involved in before arriving at Parkhead – could that existing link prove to be essential in Celtic’s chase to secure their man?

In other news… a BBC pundit has backed Celtic to complete the signing of a highly-rated transfer target this summer.