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With the likes of Robin Olsen, Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho having made their way to Aston Villa to join up with the rest of Steven Gerrard’s squad, this highlights how busy the Midlands club have been during the current January transfer window.

Now with just a week left before the window closes, it seems as though the Villans have their eye on bringing another player in that would strengthen Gerrard’s squad further.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist John Percy, Atletico Madrid striker and Gerrard’s former Liverpool teammate, Luis Suarez, has provided the Villa manager with a “glowing reference” on reported transfer target Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

He is apparently now the club’s first-choice for a new defensive-midfielder after seeing a £25m bid for Yves Bissouma rejected by Brighton & Hove Albion.

In full, he said: “Luis Suarez has provided Steven Gerrard with a glowing reference on #avfc target Rodrigo Bentancur. Juventus midfielder & Uruguay international now #1 choice at DCM after Villa’s £25m bid for Yves Bissouma rejected by Brighton. Talks to continue this week, as per @TomCollomosse.”

As a product of Boca Juniors’ youth system, Bentancur eventually joined Juventus back in the 2017 summer transfer window and has since gone on to make a total of 181 appearances for the Italian club across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

Fans will be thrilled

With Suarez having played with a number of top talents throughout his playing career such as Gerrard and Coutinho as well as the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta among many others, it’s safe to say that a glowing reference from him will mean a lot and thus, will surely excite a lot of Villa fans about the possibility of Bentancur joining the club.

However, with the Uruguay international having played in 26 games for Juventus so far this season across all competitions, Villa could find it difficult to sign him if Juventus are reluctant to let him go.

Moving forward, if Villa were able to sign the 24-year-old in the next few days before the end of the month, this would surely be another big transfer move from the Midlands club.

That’s when you consider the experience Bentancur has of playing in one of the top teams in Europe in competitions such as Serie A and the Champions League while winning a number of trophies in the process.

It really does feel as though Gerrard is flooding his team with as much elite experience as possible; an exciting proposition for any fan at Villa Park in 2022.

In other news: Journalist drops latest Yves Bissouma transfer update

Leeds United are unlikely to make any late additions before Monday’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who claims that the Yorkshire giants aren’t prepared to submit a third bid for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson after having two offers rejected.

“Transfer situation is essentially this – no third offer for Aaronson and Salzburg unwilling to sell in this window. Club will wait until the summer for him and won’t bid for another centre mid now,” he revealed on Twitter.

“If Summerville asks to leave and goes, a replacement needed. A fair bit of European interest in Summerville, not least in Germany and Holland, but [Marcelo] Bielsa doesn’t want to lose him.”

This won’t go down well

The Argentinian head coach has suffered from an injury crisis at Thorp Arch for much of the campaign, resulting in the desperate need for some form of reinforcements this month.

Leeds very rarely conduct business during the winter but the aforementioned situation highlights why their plans have somewhat changed, and whilst they have failed in their attempts to sign Aaronson, they haven’t really looked elsewhere, which is disappointing.

They haven’t signed a central midfielder in four years – and counting.

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Earlier this month, Bielsa was unable to field much of a bench against West Ham United in the Premier League. He named eight academy prospects among nine substitutes. Similarly, 15-year-old Archie Gray was involved against Arsenal in December when there were 11 players absent through injury.

Among those missing recent have been last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford, who has missed 17 of their last 18 league games, club captain Liam Cooper and influential anchorman Kalvin Phillips.

The latter two are absent until March at the very earliest.

These are three vital players to Leeds, so it’s no wonder they have struggled in their absence, even flirting with the prospect of a relegation dogfight – something that still isn’t out of the realms of possibility.

As you can see in the direct replies to Hay’s latest update, there aren’t many supporters who are happy to hear of such news. “Absolute joke,” one fan claimed, whilst another one deemed it to be a “shambles of a window.” Victor Orta was also slammed as a failure and some were left very worried about the chances of relegation now.

This development is certainly not going down well around west Yorkshire, and the fan base will be livid if they fail to sign someone by Monday night – that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Leeds United eyeing late January bargain in £10m “phenomenon”, Bielsa would love him…

Centre-back. Left-back. Midfield.

Pascal Struijk can do it all at Leeds United.

The towering 6 foot 3 colossus has been nothing short of a sensation for the Yorkshire outfit, and he’s only going to get better.

He cost the Whites absolutely nothing when their director of football Victor Orta poached him from Ajax in 2018 and at just 22, he hasn’t looked out of place in the Premier League whatsoever.

Struijk has always delivered whenever called upon in whatever position manager Marcelo Bielsa needs him to play, though he appears to be a central defender by trade.

And that is where his long-term future is likely to settle.

“He’s going to become a supreme centre-back,” once claimed LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross. “He’s [Bielsa] worked with so many players in world football, and for him to say the things he’s saying about Pascal, it’s very, very exciting. Defenders don’t always get a very exciting press. It’s all about Raphinha, it’s all about Joe Gelhardt. But Pascal is the future. 

“And the longer he stays under the radar, the better, because he’s got the lot, to be honest.”

In terms of this season alone, he’s amongst their most resolute defensive options, averaging the second-highest number of tackles per game (2.3) and third-highest number of interceptions per match (1.4), too, as per WhoScored.

The Dutchman is also very capable with the ball at his feet, having averaged a passing accuracy of 84.3%, which is only bettered by fellow centre-back, Liam Cooper (85.7%) – of those that have started ten or more league games.

It’s no wonder Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Urquhart dubbed him a “beast.”

Those returns suggest he’s more than capable at reading a game and then acting upon it, whilst his ball-playing ability makes him one of Bielsa’s most reliable options to start playing out from the back – and that be why he sometimes slots into the defensive midfield role as he’s clearly able to dictate play.

Meanwhile, ex-Leeds star Dominic Matteo also believes “he’s got it all” and that he “looks comfortable in possession.”

Struijk is going to be an integral part of Leeds’ success for the remainder of the season, especially with the aforementioned skipper still absent through injury.

What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that he cost Leeds absolutely nothing. He’s now worth around €20m (£18m), according to CIES Football Observatory. A fee that is only going to rise alongside his impressive performances.

This has been something of a dream deal for the Yorkshire giants. He could stay for a long time and continue to make a huge impact or he could sold on for mega profit. It’s a win-win.

United hit the jackpot with Struijk, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Huge boost for Bielsa: Journalist drops behind-scenes Leeds update out of Thorp Arch…

Everton are in the frame to sign left-back Sergio Gomez from Anderlecht this summer, according to Belgian outlet Voetbal Niewus (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

21-year-old Gomez, who came through the famous youth ranks at FC Barcelona, only joined Anderlecht from Borussia Dortmund last summer in a £2million deal.

The Spaniard has quickly established himself as a key player for the Pro League outfit though, starting all of their top-flight matches to date.

Across his 34 appearances in all competitions, he’s contributed an impressive six goals and 13 assists, scarcely believable numbers for a full-back.

The latest

The report (via Sport Witness) states that, should Gomez leave this summer, ‘it seems unlikely’ that he’ll join one of the top clubs in Europe.

Instead, Everton, and Premier League rivals Southampton, are ‘more realistic’ options.

Anderlecht value Gomez at around €9million, which equates to around £7.5million.

The verdict

Would this be a smart signing for Everton? Gomez certainly looks like a gem, and £7.5million actually falls below Transfermarkt’s £8.1million valuation.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed the Spain Under-21 international ‘superb’ and even anointed him the ‘king of assists’ earlier this month, so perhaps the Blues can have their own rival to Liverpool’s playmakers on the flanks across Stanley Park.

It’s worth noting that Everton signed a young left-back last month in the form of Vitalii Mykolenko, but Gomez has also operated in more advanced roles on the flanks and in central midfield, so could both players feature in Frank Lampard’s long-term plans?

We believe this could be one worth pursuing for Steve Hitchen, who’s been offered the director of football role at Goodison Park.

In other news, there’s been yet another injury blow for Everton.

As per Jeunesfooteux, there has been a transfer update involving Liverpool and Lille star Jonathan David as the club, and by extension owners Fenway Sports Group, eye a striker for Jurgen Klopp.

The Lowdown: David opens door…

Speaking to Telefoot, via Jeunesfooteux, the Ligue 1 sensation has seemingly opened the door to a summer move after his agent, Nick Mavromaras, told Radio Canada (via The Mail) this will be his last season at Lille.

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Indeed, David has refused to rule out an exit, particularly to England, amid his scintillating run of form in the French top flight.

The 22-year-old called the Premier League a division which ‘attracts everyone’ and a ‘very good’ league – coming as his brilliant haul of 16 goals in all competitions so far over 2021/2022 turns the heads of many top clubs, including Liverpool.

The Latest: Liverpool eye move…

Amid his transfer hint, French news outlet Jeunesfooteux explain that David’s willingness to move across the channel could come as a boost to FSG and Klopp as they claim Liverpool remain one of the interested clubs.

Alongside the Reds, league rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United are also said to be watching his situation.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The Canada international, who has already racked up a very impressive 20 goals in 27 caps for his country, could come as a brilliant signing for the Merseysiders.

Football reporter Tom Williams branded David an ‘ice-cold’ striker on Twitter whilst lauding his exploits this season in an extensive piece for The Times.

The striker, as reported by TYC Sports journalist Matthew Scianitti in January, is said to be ‘open’ to every possibility – including a move to Liverpool.

His candid interview arguably backs this claim, and while Jeunesfooteux believe the starring forward will cost around €60 million (£50m), we believe he is definitely worth the price tag.

In other news: Liverpool in pole position to sign ‘extraordinary’ player who Klopp absolutely loves, find out more here.

After securing a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in their previous Premier League outing, Wolves are back in action on Sunday afternoon, with a home clash against Leicester City next up for Bruno Lage’s side in their chase for European football.

On the chalkboard

With the 45-year-old revealing in his latest press conference that he has everyone in his squad available to play against the Foxes, this could make choosing a starting XI rather difficult for the Old Gold boss.

However, one decision we feel he needs to make is to remove attacker Daniel Podence from the starting XI on this occasion.

Having started in the win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend, the 26-year-old only had one shot at goal, also failing to complete any of the three dribbles he attempted.

The attacker also lost possession of the ball 18 times and lost eight of his 12 duels. He ultimately earned an overall match rating of 6.7/10 according to SofaScore, leaving Nelson Semedo as the only other Wolves player to start the match with a lower rating on the day.

Also, the fact that Podence has yet to score a goal in the league this season suggests that the forward – who has been described as a “clever” player by Lage in the past – may not be best suited to starting against Brendan Rodgers’ side and could be better off coming on as an impact substitute if needed on this occasion.

In terms of who could come into the starting XI to replace the Portuguese attacker, Hwang Hee-chan replaced Podence last weekend after recovering from a hamstring injury and has netted four goals in the league this season. Therefore, this could be a great opportunity for the Korean to get his first start in Lage’s team since December.

Whether or not Lage decides to drop Podence – who is currently picking up £52k-per-week according to Salary Sport – this match against Leicester will be a big game for the Old Gold and their hopes of securing European football by the end of the campaign.

In other news: Huge boost: Wolves handed massive injury update that’ll surely have Lage buzzing – opinion

Crystal Palace made no mistake in securing a win in their latest Premier League fixture with a 4-1 victory over Watford at Vicarage Road in midweek.

Having opened the scoring after 15 minutes through Jean-Philippe Mateta, Patrick Vieira’s side then conceded shortly after with midfielder Moussa Sissoko grabbing an equaliser just a few minutes later.

Shortly before halftime, Palace midfielder Conor Gallagher put the visitors back ahead before two late goals from Wilfried Zaha secured the three points for the Eagles.

Aside from the three goalscorers, there was one other player, in particular, that was rather impressive in the game as well.

Playing the full 90 minutes in the left-back position, Tyrick Mitchell managed to have a total of 73 touches of the ball and complete 41 accurate passes with one of them setting up Gallagher’s goal.

In addition to that, the 22-year-old also showed what an impressive defender he is by racking up four tackles, one interception and one clearance as well as winning an eye-catching 75% of his duels.

This overall performance ultimately earned the Englishman a particularly exciting overall match rating of 7.6/10, making him the second-highest rated player in a Palace shirt on the day according to SofaScore, higher than goalscorers Gallagher and Mateta.

Football.London also picked up on the defender’s impressive display by saying that he was “comfortable on the ball thereafter helping push the visitors forward.”

Labelled as a “silent assassin” by his U16s coach Anthony Hayes, Mitchell has played more minutes in the league than any other Eagles player this season, proving just how important he is for Vieira.

Taking into account his performance against the Hornets, it seems likely that he will continue to rack up regular minutes in the team throughout the remainder of the season, especially if he can keep being solid at the back and provide an attacking threat going forward as he did last night.

Having failed to win any of their six previous league games prior to the Watford clash, everyone at Selhurst Park will undoubtedly be hoping that this latest result can kickstart a good run of form and positive results that can get the side into the top half of the league table.

In other news: Big concern: Vieira drops worrying Palace injury update that’ll have fans sweating – opinion

Wolves succumbed to their third Premier League defeat in a row this afternoon with a 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace at Molineux.

An opening goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta followed by a penalty from Wilfried Zaha in the first half secured the three points for Patrick Vieira’s side, who will be travelling back to south London in a buoyant mood.

Despite the disappointing result from a Wolves point of view, one player who did anything but disappoint Bruno Lage in terms of his performance was Fernando Marcal.

With the full 90 minutes under his belt, the Brazilian showed his manager just how useful he can be in an attacking and defensive sense with and without the ball.

Having racked up 80 touches of the ball against the Eagles, Marcal ended up making 46 accurate passes, which included two long balls and one key pass.

In addition, the 33-year-old – who was tipped to add a “huge amount of experience” to the team by Jeff Shi when he arrived at Molineux in 2020 – posted one shot on target and completed all three dribbles that he attempted.

From a defensive point of view, the £1.35m-rated Brazilian made five tackles, three interceptions and one clearance, also blocking one shot and winning 80% of his ground duels, which goes to show how important he was in making sure his side didn’t have an even worse day at the office.

This display ultimately earned the defender an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him the highest-rated outfield player for the Molineux outfit on the day and arguably Lage’s only shining light on what was another frustrating afternoon for the 45-year-old.

With the Old Gold now losing three consecutive league games for the first time since the opening weeks of the season, the manager now has a challenge on his hands to revive their fortunes if he wants them to be in with a shot of securing European football for 2022/23.

Taking into account Marcal’s performance today, it would seem likely that he could be an important figure for Wolves in the next few weeks and months, especially if he can keep delivering consistently strong displays up and down the pitch.

In other news – Fosun masterclass: £74k-p/w “weak link” has seen his value drop 40% after Wolves exit

Sky Sports have provided a major update in Manchester United’s pursuit of Ajax assistant Mitchell van der Gaag.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

The Red Devils confirmed Ten Hag as their new manager on Thursday, with the 52-year-old set to take over from Ralf Rangnick in the summer.

Ten Hag has signed a deal through to 2025 at Old Trafford, with Fabrizio Romano revealing Van der Gaag has accepted a position under Ten Hag in England.

However, it looks as if a move isn’t as straightforward as United would have hoped, with Sky Sports sharing a big update regarding the number two on Friday.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill said ‘I’m hearing’ a deal between the two clubs for Van der Gaag has been agreed, however, the assistant is yet to agree personal terms.

He added there is now a real chance he’ll stay in the Netherlands and potentially succeed Ten Hag as Ajax manager.

The Verdict: A blow

Van der Gaag was Ten Hag’s ‘priority’ when it came to the coaching staff, so this update is a potential blow for the new Manchester United manager.

If a move doesn’t go through for the Ajax number two, it’ll be interesting to see who Ten Hag would want instead.

Romano admitted that Ten Hag has also spoken with Steve McClaren over a possible role, so if Van der Gaag doesn’t move to England, perhaps McClaren could be his man.

In other news: Ten Hag holds meeting: Man Utd now want 26-goal attacker who gives defenders ‘sleepless nights’. 

Manchester City have a lot going on at the moment in terms of what’s happening on the pitch over the next few weeks.

In addition to their Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola’s side can’t afford to drop points in the Premier League, with Liverpool breathing down their necks.

However, it seems as though things are quite busy behind the scenes too at the Etihad Stadium in terms of one potential transfer which could take place in the near future.

What’s the news?

According to a recent tweet from journalist Samuel Luckhurst, sharing a corresponding report for Manchester Evening News, City officials have been visiting Mino Raiola, the agent of Erling Haaland, in hospital to progress the negotiations which could see the striker move to the Etihad this summer.

Considering how Raiola was taken ill recently, the fact that the City officials have been in contact with the agent in hospital shows just how keen they are to seal a deal for the centre-forward.

Since Haaland joined his current club Borussia Dortmund in January 2020, the 21-year-old has been nothing short of a goalscoring revelation. With 86 appearances to his name for the German giants, the Norwegian has scored an impressive 82 goals and provided 23 assists along the way.

To further highlight how deadly a striker he is, only Robert Lewandowski (2.35) and Patrick Schick (1.82) have a higher average for shots on target per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga this season than Haaland (1.58).

Fans will be delighted

Even though City are currently top of the Premier League table prior to this weekend’s round of fixtures, there have been times this season where they have failed to find the net, notably in both clashes against Crystal Palace.

With that in mind, having a clinical figure up front such as Haaland could be just what the reigning champions need in order to continue being successful into the future, which would surely delight a lot of supporters.

If City are able to secure a deal for the Dortmund hitman in the coming weeks, this would surely be a massive coup for them and make them an even more fearsome opponent for the rest of the Premier League, and indeed for whoever they come up against in Europe.

In other news: Man City eyeing “swashbuckling” £12.5m starlet, could be Guardiola’s next Kyle Walker