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According to a report from The Telegraph, Aston Villa are preparing a summer approach to sign Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. 

The lowdown: Hot property

The 26-year-old has been the subject of heightened speculation in the last 12 months and has been linked with big-money moves to Real Madrid and Manchester United previously.

Despite reported efforts from the Yorkshire club to tie down the England international and stave off suitors, it would appear that the upcoming summer transfer window is set to be a crucial one for the midfielder.

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The Villans now look set to make a fresh approach for the Leeds star.

The latest: Massive price hike for Phillips

As per The Telegraph, the Midlands club are preparing to ‘make a renewed £60million approach’ for the defensive midfielder.

It is claimed that, having had a £25m offer for Brighton colossus Yves Bissouma rebuffed, Villa manager Steven Gerrard will turn attention to Phillips.

Villa attempted to sign the 19-cap England ace back in 2019 for £25m (Birmingham Mail), but they are now said to be lining up a much more lucrative £60m move.

The verdict: Would be a smart signing

Phillips – who caused a stir when discussing interest from Villa before sharing his admiration for Gerrard last summer – has the ability to be a welcome boost to the Villa Park squad, particularly as Douglas Luiz continues to be touted with a summer exit.

Already a proven Premier League performer, adding the man once described as ‘phenomenal’ by Ian Wright following a standout display in England’s 1-0 victory over Croatia at Euro 2020 would be a shrewd move as Villa look to improve next season.

Boasting impressive attributes in both an attacking and defensive sense, the £45m-valued midfielder possesses strong tackling and interception prowess (WhoScored), and he could offer much-needed additional steel to the Villans’ ranks.

In other news: Journalist makes summer claim regarding current Villa star. Read more here!

Celtic had a rather enjoyable afternoon back in Premiership action today following their Old Firm victory last weekend.

This time, Ange Postecoglou’s side secured a tantalising 7-0 victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead courtesy of six different goalscorers.

Three first-half strikes from Reo Hatate, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda gave the home side a comfortable 3-0 lead at the midway point. A penalty from Josip Juranovic, a brace from Matt O’Riley and a clinching goal from Liel Abada gave Postecoglou and the home fans a lot to savour as they take another step closer to the title.On a day when many Hoops players had a lot to smile about, one player in particular lit up Parkhead and stole the show.Having opened the scoring for his team, Reo Hatate had 60 touches of the ball before being replaced by fellow midfielder David Turnbull in the 55th minute. Out of the 47 passes he attempted, 43 found their intended target, including all three of the long balls he attempted.He also had three shots on target in total and won the penalty that Juranovic put away in the second half, in addition to completing both of his dribbles, showing how tricky he was to play against. That was in stark contrast with his fellow countryman Maeda, who failed to complete any of his three dribble attempts.The 24-year-old also did his bit defensively by winning three of his four duels, showing how useful he was in and out of possession for his team.This performance ultimately earned the midfield gem an overall match rating of 8/10 from SofaScore, making him the joint-second highest rated Celtic player to start the game.Labelled an “outrageous” player by Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, Hatate has shown once again today why Postecoglou chose to bring the Japanese maestro to Parkhead in the January transfer window.If the Australian coach can keep getting Hatate and the rest of the Celtic players to deliver performances like this throughout the remainder of the season, they should be a shoo-in to secure the Premiership title.In other news: £2.7m down the drain as Celtic had a howler on “difficult” £450k-rated Parkhead flop

[ad_pod ]Liverpool’s first-choice left-back, captain of the Scotland national team and a Champions League finalist, but it hasn’t always been this easy for Andrew Robertson. Released by Celtic as a 15-year-old, the energetic full-back ended up at Queens Park, whereÂGardner Speirs, who now oversees the academy at the Tartan Army’s Hampton Park, was taken aback by a teenage Robertson.“We were due to go down to Largs on the Clyde coast to play a couple of matches inside four days but we didn’t have a left-back,†Speirs said. “Andrew was just finishing a season with the under-17s, so we took him and that’s how it happened.“Andy’s response was to say, ‘I’ll prove you wrong.’ He played in the first warm-up game at Largs and I don’t think he went out of the team again until he left us.”It is this attitude that has endeared him to the Liverpool supporters after some had written him off before his career on Merseyside had even begun.

Some of the Anfield faithful wanted a marquee name, but in truth, almost anyone would’ve been an upgrade on Alberto Moreno, so Robertson had a chance to make the left-back position his own.

But Robertson would’ve been somewhat of a hit even if he never set foot on the hallowed turf of Anfield, as a result of his selfless charity work and commitment to the community around him – that is an ethos that Liverpool hold dear to them, and one that Robertson does too.

“He might be from Glasgow originally, but everything about him screams Liverpool”, said Jurgen Klopp, and luckily for the German and those associated with the club who aren’t as interested about his work off the pitch, the Scottish international is one hell of a footballer to boot.

Robertson currently has eight assists in all competitions, more than any other defender in Europe, and that tiny initial £8m spent on him back in the summer of 2017 is looking like small change – it could even be argued that the 24-year-old is probably worth five times that figure now if not more.

His relentless play up and down that left flank is hard not to cheer on, even if you aren’t a Liverpool fan.

One foray up the left flank and over to the right wing saw Robertson mount a one-man press against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the 4-3 win at Anfield last season, a moment which drew cheers similar to those heard after a goal and almost saw the Reds score, but for the referee’s intervention.

“I am still tired just looking at Robertson. He makes 100-metre sprints every minute, absolutely incredible, and these are qualities,”Âsaid Jose Mourinho after his Manchester United side were humbled by three goals to one earlier in the season – Mourinho didn’t get much right during his time with the Red Devils, but that statement is spot on.

The scary thing about Robertson is that he has time on his side, time that he doesn’t even need given just how phenomenal he is right now. If there is an improved version of the hungry Scot waiting for us in the future, opposition forwards might as well not bother.

In our Loan Watch feature, The Transfer Tavern takes a look at how Celtic defender Osaze Uroghide is faring during a short-term loan spell at KV Oostende.

The lowdown

Celtic paid just over £200,000 to sign Urhoghide from League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday last summer.

But he found opportunities hard to come by under Ange Postecoglou, with his one and only senior appearance coming in the dead-rubber Europa League game against Real Betis in December.

On Deadline Day, Celtic opted to loan him out to Jupiler Pro League outfit Oostende for the remainder of the season.

The latest

It took a couple of games, after the loan move had gone through before Yves Vanderhaeghe handed Urhoghide his debut.

That came in a 3-0 defeat against KV Mechelen, with Urhoghide substituted off at half time.

It was certainly an auspicious start, then, but the defender was perhaps played out of position at right midfield and he’s admirably put it behind him.

He completed the full 90 for the first time against Sint-Truiden on 26 February and hasn’t missed a minute of action since.

His strongest performance to date came against Anderlecht, the side who have been crowned Belgian champions more than anyone else.

He won nine out of 11 ground duels – a hugely impressive 82% – in addition to making five interceptions and even creating a chance from his centre-back berth.

That earned a SofaScore rating of 7.1/10, the second highest in the side.

Overall, he’s recorded nine successful aerial duels, eight clearances, 11 interceptions and nine tackles, whilst also demonstrating his comfort in possession by completing ten long passes and five dribbles (71%).

The verdict

So, does Urhoghide potentially have a future at Celtic?

Well, under the loan agreement, Oostende will have the option to sign him permanently in the summer.

And if he can continue to impress Vanderhaeghe enough to hold down his place in the XI, then they will surely trigger it.

After all, he’s a player they’ve been following ‘for quite some time’, according to club president Gauthier Ganaye, and they ‘firmly believe in his talent’.

There are potentially clear parallels with Jack Hendry, who left Celtic for Oostende and then earned a move to Club Brugge, where’s he’s played six Champions League games this season and seen his Transfermarkt value climb to £5.4million (well above the £990k Celtic banked).

Celtic writer John McGinley has applauded the player’s hunger, suggesting that he’d ‘do anything for Ange Postecoglou’, and perhaps he deserved more of a chance to show what he was capable of.

In other news, read this journalist’s claim on Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Tottenham could battle Aston Villa in the race to sign German defender Matthias Ginter this summer, according to Lyall Thomas.

The Lowdown: Defensive reinforcements needed?

Steven Gerrard could be a busy man this summer ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park.

Reports have suggested that eight players could be moved on from the Midlands, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa’s futures under scrutiny.

Should the pair depart, Villa would be left with just two senior centre-backs and then surely need to dip into the market, where it looks as if Ginter could be the first major deal.

The Latest: Thomas’ post

Sky Sports reporter Thomas took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on Ginter. He confirmed that Villa are ‘interested’ in Ginter on a free transfer, with Premier League rivals Tottenham and West Ham also watching the World Cup winner this season.

“Aston Villa among the clubs interested in Matthias Ginter on a free transfer, acc. to Sky Germany. Separately, I’m aware he has been watched by a lot of top clubs this season including Juventus, Tottenham and West Ham.”

The Verdict: Sign

Gerrard is looking to take Villa to the next level, and bringing in an experienced centre-back on a free transfer could be an ideal move.

Ginter, who can also play as a full-back and in midfield, is valued at £21.6m and has bundles of top-flight experience in Germany as well as in European competitions and for his country. [Transfermarkt]

He appears to be a man in demand, so securing his services for nothing over the coming months could prove to be a coup and shouldn’t impact the club’s big £150m summer spending plans.

In other news: Gerrard and Lange now eyeing another free transfer for ‘superstar’ attacker. 

Aston Villa will try to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer, according to Ryan Taylor of The Express.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans were quick to flock to the update on social media.

Villa were credited with an interest in Bissouma earlier this month and even reportedly had a £25m bid turned down.

It now seems as if Juventus’ Rodrigo Bentancur is the club’s main midfield target, but Bissouma is still on Johan Lange and Steven Gerrard’s radar.

According to Taylor, Villa are expected to go back in for Bissouma in the summer, when he could be into the final 12 months of his Seagulls contract. However, Brighton remain adamant he is not for sale at any price.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful relayed Taylor’s claim on Twitter on Wednesday evening. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one believing the summer window could be ‘absolutely mental’.

“We’re cooking”

Credit: @buendiazboyz

“I can’t see us getting Bissouma in the summer so many clubs will want him”

Credit: @Benavfctooth

“Dw we’re big time again now”

Credit: @youngprodigy08

“Our summer is gonna be absolutely mental”

Credit: @JayVtid

“Good we need Bissouma”

Credit: @mattdavis281

“110% have to”

Credit: @AvfcRegan

In other news: ‘Bottled it’ – Many Villa fans react to Fabrizio Romano transfer update. 

Gio van Bronckhorst is in with a chance of securing a treble of trophies with Rangers before the end of the season as we enter the clutch stage of the campaign.

The Gers are second in the Premiership as it stands and are in the semi-finals of the Europa League and the final of the Scottish Cup. This means that the Dutchman can end his debut term at Ibrox in glorious style if they can get over the line on multiple fronts.

He is looking to carry on the excellent work done by his predecessor, who won the Scottish top-flight title ahead of their rivals last season.

Steven Gerrard led the Light Blues to glory in 2020/21 as he enjoyed an unbeaten league campaign, with his sublime work in the transfer market playing a big role in that success.

One signing he played a blinder with was the addition of English winger Ryan Kent, who joined on a permanent deal in 2019 – after initially arriving on loan a year earlier.

At the time of the move, he was valued at just £1.58m by Transfermarkt as he finally left Liverpool after a number of loans away from Anfield.

Gerrard previously labelled Kent “a constant threat” while others have claimed he’s “the Mbappe of Scottish football” and it is easy to see why when you look at his statistics for the club over the years.

In 2020/21, the Englishman produced ten goals and 11 assists in the Premiership to help the side secure the title and he has carried his fine form over into this season. Under Gerrard and van Bronckhorst combined, the forward has three goals and 17 assists domestically and in Europe.

Kent has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.14 in the league this term and this shows that he has been consistently delivering superb displays throughout the campaign. He is a reliable player for the Dutch head coach and has gone from strength to strength since making the switch from Merseyside.

At the time of writing (21/04/22), Transfermarkt value him at a whopping £12.6m, just over £11m more than his price tag in 2019. This highlights his incredible progression in Glasgow over the years as he has been able to drastically raise his market value by performing on the pitch for the Light Blues.

Bringing him to Ibrox was a sensational piece of business by Gerrard and it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here, whether that be at Rangers or elsewhere – hopefully the former.

AND in other news, Sources: Shock Rangers transfer claim emerges that will leave Wilson excited…

With West Ham United chasing a Champions League spot this season, one man who may be looking in from the outside about what might have been is Marko Arnautovic.

Sold for a reported £30m to Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in 2019, Arnautovic left the club with a dark cloud hanging over him, with the way he handled his exit causing real questions about his attitude and professionalism.

Despite signing a new contract with the club in January of that year, and saying that “the fans gave me the power, they gave me the energy and that’s why I have to be here and that’s why I want to stay”, the Austrian threw that all away in the summer.

Reports claimed that Arnautovic had told the Hammers he wanted to leave, and given that he tried to force through a move away, it would be no surprise if West Ham fans don’t look too fondly upon him.

David Moyes, who once dubbed him “unplayable”, was actually reported to be interested in signing him last summer though, even despite everything that had happened.

When news emerged last May of West Ham potentially swooping for the Austrian and seeing him return to the London Stadium, Frank McAvennie blasted the idea, insisting that his presence at the club would be most unwelcome.

The 62-year-old said: “I’m against him – he’s a virus. It’s not about his playing, it’s what he left in the dressing room. I know some of the players and the stigma he left in that dressing room was awful.

“He’s someone you haven’t heard of since he’s left. All of a sudden he’s won no cups in China so he’s coming back. I wouldn’t have him and I wouldn’t have his brother anywhere near West Ham.”

Following his exit to China, a 32-year-old Arnautovic now finds himself on the books of Serie A side Bologna, who currently find themselves 13th in the league.

Despite scoring a respectable seven goals in 22 games for his new club, the clearly ambitious Austrian will surely be looking at how his former West Ham side have gone up a few levels and are competing for something he so desperately would have wanted to be a part of.

CIES now value him at just £3m, a real indication of how his career has fallen by the wayside since his exit from east London, and West Ham and GSB should be laughing all the way to the bank for the way they cashed in on him.

Meanwhile, Moyes can finally axe this man…

Leeds United star Raphinha’s price tag is reportedly likely to jump by a massive £25million if he signs a new contract with the Whites in the coming months.

The Lowdown: Raphinha could sign new deal

The Brazilian has been a magnificent signing for Leeds since arriving from Rennes in the summer of 2020, scoring 14 goals and registering 11 assists in 51 appearances.

Raphinha has stood out as Leeds’ star man this season, finding the net a team-high eight times in the Premier League and bamboozling defenders with his brilliance on the ball.

In recent days, it has been claimed that the 25-year-old could sign a new deal at Elland Road, acting as a potential major boost for the club.

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The Latest: Fresh claim emerges

According to Football Insider’s Leeds source, Raphinha’s price tag could skyrocket from £35million to £60million if he agrees a new contract.

The winger’s valuation had dropped to £35million despite his incredible form because his contract was running down, but this fresh development would hugely change what Andrea Radrizzani can ask for from any interested suitors.

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The Verdict: Crucial that Leeds protect themselves

Raphinha will hopefully be a Leeds player for years to come – his left foot has been hailed as ‘wonderful’ by Danny Murphy while Phil Hay has drooled over his ‘incredible engine’.

That said, there has to be an element of acceptance that he will move on eventually if Leeds cannot force their way towards the European places in the coming years.

Should that happen, it is essential that the Whites have themselves protected, allowing them to receive a mammoth fee for the Brazil international.

That would allow the loss of him to hopefully be less fatal, with the huge funds received for him ensuring they have the money to sign similarly top-level players and perhaps even emerge better off from his eventual exit.

In other news, one Leeds player could reportedly leave the club permanently. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are seemingly eyeing a move Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope as manager David Moyes also sets his sights on three other major signings this summer.

The Lowdown: Moyes set for busy window?

As recently shared by Claret & Hugh, the Hammers boss will apparently have a ‘£150 million’ transfer kitty to play with this summer with Moyes set for major summer backing.

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This comes after a lack-lustre January window, where despite lodging marquee record-breaking bids, West Ham were unable to finalise any mid-season signings for Moyes.

Their intent, as per reports, is to make up for it in the summer as news emerges on just how many major signings Moyes personally wants to make – including the potential addition of a keeper who Sean Dyche branded a ‘monster’.

The Latest: The Time share interesting transfer update…

As per The Times, West Ham ‘could try to sign’ Clarets keeper Pope if they go down, as they now contemplate whether or not to make Alphonse Areola’s loan move from Paris-Saint Germain permanent.

Alongside sealing a reserve goalkeeper for next season in either Areola or Pope, it is believed Moyes also personally wants three more additions in a left-sided centre-back, central midfielder and forward.

The Verdict: Promising claim…

Moyes’ show of ambition for the next market could come as a promising bit of news for Irons supporters.

The aim from a West Ham perspective is to stay among the Premier League’s elite and continue their remarkable ascendancy against all odds.

To do that, however, new signings will need to come through the door at Rush Green for 2022/2023 – especially going by their current defensive crisis and serious lack of depth behind striker Michail Antonio.

In other news: £25.2m-rated forward could now be open to joining West Ham after failed Pellegrini bid, find out more here.