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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass has claimed that should Jack Grealish leave Aston Villa this summer, then the Midlands club won’t also sell fellow midfield star John McGinn.

Speaking to FFC, Windass said:

“Certainly, Dean Smith won’t want to lose him if Jack goes, no chance. If Grealish does go then Dean will have to hold on to a lot of players and then bring some more in, but I can’t see McGinn leaving.”

After an incredible season for club and country, Grealish has been linked with an eye-watering £100m move to Manchester City, so if the talismanic captain were to leave, Villa would certainly not be low on funds, and therefore, they shouldn’t feel the need to sell McGinn.

The Scotland international has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent weeks after another impressive season in the top-flight, where he was once again a mainstay in Dean Smith’s side.

The 26-year-old would feature 37 times in the top-flight, contributing three goals and five assists, averaging an impressive 6.88/10 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was enough to rank him as the seventh-best performer at Villa Park last season, so it is clear that he is an extremely important member of Smith’s squad, and it would be a devastating blow if he were to follow Grealish out of the door.

Villa fans would certainly be frustrated if, after a promising summer of investment thus far, two of the key players from Villa’s squad in recent seasons were both to depart ahead of the start of the 2021/22 campaign, where the Villans look a safe bet to challenge in the top half of the Premier League table.

McGinn has also established himself as a fan favourite for both club and country, with former Scotland manager Gordon Strachan singing his praises in 2020, saying:

“John McGinn is a top, top player – do you know why? He’s a top, top man.”

It would be a disastrous decision by sporting director Johan Lange to allow both Grealish and McGinn to depart this summer, so fans will be praying that if their captain does depart, that at worst, it ensures that McGinn remains an Aston Villa player next season.

And, in other news… Dean Smith receives huge Jack Grealish boost

An update has emerged on Leeds target Maxwel Cornet, regarding Burnley’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Burnley are in talks with Lyon over a potential deal to sign Leeds target Maxwel Cornet this summer. The report claims that the Clarets are prepared to spend £13m on the Ivorian, with Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin also keen.

Leeds are said to have held an interest in Cornet and are now pursuing other targets. Marcelo Bielsa’s side returning to the race is said to be unlikely but not impossible.

Fans will be gutted

Bielsa is facing a disaster with this decision and it will leave fans gutted if Burnley are now able to swoop in for Cornet in the coming weeks. It is not clear whether or not Bielsa had the final say on Cornet, but the Leeds coach should be pushing for a deal to be completed as he could be an excellent addition to the squad ahead of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

He ticks a number of boxes for what Leeds should be looking for in a signing; quality, young, experienced, versatile and hard-working. He has proven his quality in Ligue 1 for Lyon over the course of a number of years since coming through in the 2015/16 campaign. Cornet has averaged a career WhoScored rating of 6.70 across over 200 appearances for club and country, showing his experience and ability to remain consistent over a long period of time.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola once lauded Cornet as one of the many promising talents in the French game, as he was quick to point out that teams outside of PSG have quality players in their ranks.

He said:

“We only talk about PSG but there are many good French teams, I was very impressed by the talent of Maxwel Cornet. There are many talents in France, I like to play the Champions League because there is a very high quality everywhere, players, coaches.”

At the age of 24, Cornet also has the potential to improve and grow as a player. He has shown his versatility for Lyon, by playing across midfield and in defence, and he could be a player Bielsa is able to coach into becoming a top player in several positions for Leeds, which would make him a huge asset for the club.

His defensive stats also suggest that he would suit Bielsa’s high-press, hard-working, style of play. Cornet made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game for Lyon last season, showing that he puts the graft in defensively to win the ball back for his side.

Bielsa and Leeds are facing a disaster by allowing Burnley to snap him up for £13m, as he has the attributes, experience and quality to make an impact at Elland Road.

Fans will have every right to be gutted if one of the club’s rivals in the Premier League manage to sign such a quality player ahead of Leeds, without the Yorkshire-based club even putting up much of a fight.

AND in other news, Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 17-goal “phenomenon”, he’s a big upgrade on Harrison…

Many Southampton fans are far from happy with comments from Ralph Hasenhuttl, who said that the Saints can finish in the top half of the Premier League table this coming season.

The Saints ended in a lowly 15th place in the top flight last term despite a positive start to the campaign. At the moment, their squad is pretty much the same – they have lost Ryan Bertrand (southampton.com) and replaced him with Romain Perraud, who has arrived from Ligue 1 side Brest.

However, the lack of transfer business has not dampened Hasenhuttl’s spirits at all. The Austrian believes that the Saints can finish in the top 10 of the league in 2021/22, telling BBC [via @SaintsExtra]: “We want to concede less goals than last year. We want more, quicker transition; these are the topics for pre-season. The target is a top 10 position – we know we need to out-perform to reach this.”

In the best part of three seasons at the club, the Saints have finished 16th, 11th and 15th on the 53-year-old’s watch, a far cry from when they were seventh and sixth in consecutive seasons under Ronald Koeman in the mid-2010s. [Transfermarkt]

Hasenhuttl’s comments were relayed on Twitter by @TheSaintCentre and they attracted of attention from some disgruntled Southampton fans. These supporters took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Hasenhuttl’s comments

“10th….. how we have fallen since Koeman”

Credit: @edwardmarshCT

“Well no, it shows the club are not operating in the realms of reality. It will be a sleep walk into relegation.”

Credit: Baddogjase

“Obviously not, we’re getting relegated”

Credit: @ewanwhite1999

“Not a chance. 1 injury and we are screwed.”

Credit: @sorrellh

“Pie in the sky. How quickly he has forgotten the last 4 months of the season.”

Credit: @Saintsfcplayers

“Not with the squad we have right now. The maths is simple. The squad we had last season finished 15th. We’ve replaced Bertrand and let go or loaned numerous other players. No way this team right now is finishing top 10.”

Credit: @cartocraftsman

In other news, Southampton want to sign this Premier League midfielder.

Ange Postecoglou only had a matter of weeks to fine-tune his Celtic side before they faced their first competitive match on Tuesday night.

Their fortunes in pre-season have been mixed but due to a host of injury and fitness concerns, the Hoops are already down to the bare bones.

That said, without the likes of James Forrest and co, they still came away with a 1-1 draw in the first-leg of their Champions League qualifying clash with Midtjylland.

Celtic started brightly and found the net through 19-year-old debutant Liel Abada.

However, in typical circumstances, the Bhoys were masters of their own downfall.

Nir Bitton was given his marching orders after being sent off in the first half while on a rare competitive outing for Vasilis Barkas, he didn’t cover himself in glory either.

The visitors fired back through a free-kick which the Greek stopper really needed to do better with.

However, one player who was just as bad as the pair of them was right-back, Anthony Ralston. In short, his performance provided plenty of evidence as to why Postecoglou has targeted new full-backs this summer.

That area has a problem position ever since he walked into the club with Jeremie Frimpong’s January departure leaving them short.

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Deals for Brandon Soppy, George Baldock and Aurelio Buta have all been touted but they’re yet to conclude any moves in that third of the pitch.

Yet, after Ralston’s display on Tuesday night, his position has become of even greater concern.

Defensively the full-back wasn’t so bad. He won two of his three aerial duels and battled well against Midtjylland’s offensive players.

Though, it was when he started to go forward or received the ball to feet that he looked abject and out of his depth.

Ralston lost possession a whopping 19 times during the encounter, the worst number ahead of Greg Taylor (18) in the Hoops side.

Furthermore, he failed to provide any key passes and was successful with just one of his four crosses on the night.

If Postecoglou’s attacking and short passing system is going to flourish at Paradise, they’ll need a right-back with better offensive qualities than Ralston.

The fact he started such an important game on Tuesday goes to show how the Neil Lennon era is still causing issues for Celtic.

The £5.5k-per-week earner only played one game for the Bhoys last term, a tally he’s already equalled. It surely won’t be long before the club brings in a player to replace him.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their new Christie by signing 44-goal gem with the “style of Robben”…

Leeds United are closing in on the signing of Chelsea starlet Lewis Bate, and it’s one that Marcelo Bielsa will love.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that the 18-year-old is keen on an exit from Stamford Bridge this summer in a bid to find a club who can offer him a better pathway into the first team.

It was suggested that Bielsa’s side were one of those interested in signing him, and it now appears that Victor Orta and the Whites will get their man.

Goal’s Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella has revealed via Twitter: “Lewis Bate is accelerating towards Leeds. Medical could come as soon as tomorrow as the clubs thrash out a deal. #CFC”

Bielsa will love him

At just 18, the midfielder has all the potential in the world to develop into a real star at Elland Road if given the right opportunities.

The Athletic said: “Bate is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in the country, coming close to making his debut for the senior side when he was named on the bench against Sheffield United and Bayern Munich last year.

“Leeds’ hopes are growing that they could win the race for his signature but are aware of the competition. Significantly, Bate has started to follow a number of Leeds players on Instagram.”

According to Ram Srinivas, co-founder of football analytics consultancy MRKT Insights, Bate has all the hallmarks of being someone to take over from Kalvin Phillips in years to come.He said: “Bate is a well-rounded deep-lying midfielder; he’s well capable of helping a team control possession, acting as a metronome to keep things ticking over as well as being very productive in build-up. He’s very positive in his passing and shows good awareness of the spaces opening up around him and team shape, which helps his team play out of a press and also attack the opposition in transition.”All in all he’s just a multi-faceted midfielder whose biggest weakness is probably just his size but he more than makes up for it with his other qualities. He’s very well-suited to Bielsa-ball and probably capable of serving as an understudy to Kalvin Phillips.”That last line on him being “very well-suited to Bielsa-ball” is sure to have the Leeds manager excited at the prospect of working with him, especially given the success he has had in transforming Phillips from a Championship player into a genuine England star.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United update…

Liverpool have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this summer.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Le10 Sport (as reported by the Daily Star), Lille are willing to let the 23-year-old depart over the coming months in order to raise funds to stay afloat.

Several Ligue 1 clubs are struggling financially due to the ongoing pandemic and the collapse of the French football television deal, with Les Dogues already offloading Boubakary Soumare and Mike Maignan to Leicester City and AC Milan respectively.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Sanches in recent weeks as manager Jurgen Klopp searches for Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement, and the Reds may be encouraged to make a move after this latest revelation.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

Sanches was once described as a “box-to-box midfielder with the strength of a WWE heavyweight and the nimble feet of a ballet dancer” by Bundesliga.com, highlighting the perfect blend of natural athleticism and technical ability that the 23-year-old possesses.

These assets saw the £27m-rated gem described as a “machine” by Lille’s official Twitter feed in April, and Klopp would surely love to have him at his disposal on Merseyside.

Over the last year, Sanches made 6.65 progressive passes, 7.75 progressive carries and 2.54 completed dribbles per game, as per fbref.com, showcasing his influence and impressive performances with the reigning French champions.

The youngster may feel he has unfinished business in the Premier League following his hugely underwhelming loan spell with Swansea City in 2017/18, but he is a different player now and has begun to fulfill his early promise, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most promising young central midfielders.

With Wijnaldum joining PSG on a free transfer, the Anfield outfit will need an adequate successor to the Dutchman before the new campaign kicks off, and the Portugal international would be just that.

His physical and technical attributes should make him an ideal Premier League player, one who seems perfect for Klopp’s unique gegenpressing system.

A transfer appears to be on the cards for Sanches this summer, but it remains to be seen whether Liverpool follow up their reported interest with a concrete offer.

In other news… Imagine him and Thiago: Edwards could form dream Liverpool duo with swoop for £20m gem

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge insists that Harry Kane does not have time to wait for Tottenham Hotspur to rebuild their squad.

Spurs are currently in the midst of squad building, under the stewardship of new Director of Football Fabio Paratici.

They have secured the signings of winger Bryan Gil on a permanent basis, with Erik Lamela moving to Sevilla in exchange and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini from Atalanta on an initial loan.

Spurs are also reported to be in talks over a deal to sign Cristian Romero from Atalanta in the coming days, while a number of first-team players have moved on, along with Lamela.

Toby Alderweireld has moved to Qatari club Al-Duhail SC, Juan Foyth has moved to Villarreal, and Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga have moved to Watford and Fulham respectively on free transfers.

Kane has failed to report to training this week as he attempts to force through a move to Manchester City that would cost in excess of £100m.

And Bridge does not think he has any more time to wait for Spurs to build their squad.

He said: “He has got no time for another rebuild. Tottenham are rebuilding right now. Tottenham have still got to sell a lot of players and they’ve got to sign a lot of players, and this is what we’re discussing now.

“Harry will be looking at this and saying ‘hang on a second, I was 28 last week, I have no time for this, I’ve given my all, give me that opportunity.”

After a breakthrough in talks, it looks as if Southampton’s Jannik Vestergaard will sign for Leicester City in the coming days, with the Danish defender undergoing a medical with the Foxes on Thursday.

What’s the word?

According to Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach, Leicester have agreed a £15m fee with Southampton for the 29-year-old. He is currently training with Brendan Rodgers’ side in the hope that he can sign in time for their Premier League opener against Wolves this weekend.

Following Danny Ings’ exit earlier this month, it was perhaps always likely that Southampton would look to cash in on Vestergaard, as his current contract is also set to expire in less than 12 months, so selling him for £15m now would certainly be preferable to losing him for nothing at the end of this season.

Will Hasenhuttl be worried?

Whilst you would hope that a replacement will be brought in quickly, it is undoubtedly a blow to the Austrian manager that one of his top performers from last season is departing for a Premier League rival just a couple of days before the season begins.

After a difficult start to life at St Mary’s, Vestergaard established himself as a key part of Hasenhuttl’s defence last season, making 30 appearances in the Premier League, in which he contributed three goals and averaged a solid 6.89 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

It is no surprise that Leicester have looked to bring in a centre-back after Wesley Fofana broke his leg in pre-season, and Southampton will have to be equally efficient in their search for a replacement if they want to avoid a poor start to the campaign.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

The Saints conceded 68 goals in the top-flight last season and have also lost the experienced Ryan Bertrand from their defence, so Hasenhuttl will surely be worried that his side are in for another difficult season in the top-flight.

And, in other news… Semmens heading for Saints transfer disaster with PL “machine” 

Liverpool are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, with the French champions willing to cash in on the 23-year-old, according to journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter.

The lowdown

Sanches has been with Lille since 2019, having previously been on the books with Bayern Munich and Benfica earlier in his career.

The Portuguese midfielder has made 60 appearances in total for the French club, which includes 29 in the 2020/21 season as they won the Ligue 1 title. The 23-year-old has two years remaining on his contract, although it remains to be seen whether he sees out that deal with Les Dogues as they begin the defence of their domestic crown.

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique has previously claimed that Jurgen Klopp could help Sanches become a world class player in the future, saying: “He’s always been a great player. If I’m not wrong he was named best player of the Under-21 tournament that he was involved in.

“The problem he had is like many young players he had everything too quick and until he settled it took him a few years, but he looks like the type of player that I believe Klopp can help him become a world class player.”

The latest

Liverpool are rumoured to be weighing up a move for Sanches, and Toubache-Ter claims that a fee in the region of €40m to €42m (£33.9m-£35.6m) could be enough to secure a deal.

It’s reported that the Lille board could look to move him on for that fee, although it remains to be seen whether Liverpool are willing to pay that amount for the 23-year-old.

The verdict

This could be a fantastic bit of business by Liverpool this summer as they look to strengthen their midfield options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

We’ve already seen Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain linked with a loan return to Southampton, which met with opposition from some Liverpool’s supporters as the Reds aren’t exactly blessed with a considerable amount of midfield depth following Georginio Wijnaldum’s summer exit.

However, the Englishman’s departure could pave the way for Sanches to arrive, and it would be a real statement of intent by the Reds if they were to secure a deal to land the Lille maestro’s signature this summer.

In other news, some Liverpool fans had mixed reactions to this potential loan exit from Anfield

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t finished bolstering Nuno Santo’s backline, it appears…

What’s the word?

According to The Times, Spurs are ready to launch a bid for Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, who featured in Spain’s Euro 2020 and Olympics squads this summer, where they made the semi-final and final respectively.

The left-footed 24-year-old has also been scouted by some of the Premier League’s big dogs, including defending champions Manchester City, their local rivals United, and Liverpool.

His release clause has risen to €65m (£55m) after he reached a certain number of caps for the Spanish national side. However, the Lilywhites are hoping that they can secure him for a much lower fee.

Imagine him and Romero

Torres played an integral role in the Yellow Submarine’s Europa League run, where they defeated Manchester United in the final. It’s no wonder he was called up to both of Spain’s squads throughout the summer.

As per WhoScored, the 6 foot 4 colossus rated as Unai Emery’s fourth-best player (6.76) in La Liga last season. Across 33 starts, he proved his ball-playing ability by averaging an 87.8% passing accuracy and 0.8 dribbles per game.

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Furthermore, despite his towering presence, he was clocked as one of the top ten fastest players in the Spanish top-flight. It potentially suggests that he would have no problem in adapting to the speed of the Premier League, where he could cope with the demands of some of Europe’s best and most prolific goalscorers.

Torres’ playing style has been likened to Gerard Pique, which only adds weight to why Nuno may be keen on signing him, whilst Spurs legend Graham Roberts is a big fan of his, making a bold claim to Twitter this week.

“Absolutely brilliant player,” he said. “I think him and Romero would be [the] strongest pair in [the] Prem[ier League].”

Indeed, Torres and new summer signing Cristian Romero could be a force to be reckoned with in the top-flight. It’s certainly a more mouthwatering and formidable partnership than Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, the latter of whom is thought to be available for transfer.

Former Villarreal midfielder Javi Calleja, who coached the 24-year-old in his rise up through the youth system, once described him as an “extraordinary talent” as well as being a “sensational kid” – largely due to his attitude and willingness to improve.

He and Romero could be exactly what Nuno needs to transform Spurs’ problematic backline. Torres may well cost a fair chunk of money at £55m but, on the above evidence, he would surely be worth every bit of it.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal Spurs transfer masterclass in bargain swoop for “dangerous” £18m-rated beast…