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Many Aston Villa fans have been left fuming after the club’s official Twitter channel posted the highlights of Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just a few hours after the match.

Villa’s came crashing down from the high of their back-to-back wins over Everton and Manchester United as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Spurs, who had lost their previous three league games.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored his first league goal of the season just before the half-hour mark to put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead. Ollie Watkins later equalised with his first goal since scoring against Spurs in May with just over 20 minutes remaining.

However, Spurs reacted in perfect fashion and won the game through a Matt Targett own goal after Heung-min Son’s low cross resulted in the left-back accidentally turning the ball into his own net.

Following the match, the club’s official Twitter channel posted the highlights of the game, which did not go down well with many Villa supporters given the result.

Villa fans fuming with club tweet

These Villa fans duly took to Twitter to vent their fury over the club’s posting of the match highlights when the result was still quite raw:

“read the room”

Credit: @avbilly

“why have you done this”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Not now. Still SEETHIN”

Credit: @ThatAnt__

“Just post the Watkins goal, that’s literally it.”

Credit: @tom_avfc1

“Still time to delete”

Credit: @DG_Avfc_2

“No need for this”

Credit: @AVN1874

In other news, some Villa fans have slammed this player’s performance against Tottenham. Find out more here.

If you were looking through the Leeds United squad right now, and were asked to pick out the best bargain, who would you pick?

Perhaps Raphinha would feature prominently in your thoughts after arriving for just £17m for French side Rennes last summer, and then going on to enjoy an impressive debut campaign in the Premier League for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

And while the Brazilian, or someone like Illan Meslier, would definitely be stand-out contenders for that award, Pascal Struijk may be the best of the lot.

The Dutchman arrived from Ajax on a free transfer back in January 2018 after the Dutch giants decided not to offer him a new contract, initially taking him on trial before handing him a three-year contract to join up at Elland Road.

The fact Struijk was let go spoke volumes of how little Ajax really valued him, and Dutch journalist, Jan Spaans, said: “You never thought Struijk was going to be a first-team player at Ajax. Ajax’s academy is famous and you hear all the time about the best players in it but they didn’t speak about him so much or have any high hopes.”

Since then however, Struijk has developed into a Premier League regular under Bielsa, playing in holding midfield as well as further back in central defence.

The 6 foot 3 star has started all three of Leeds United’s games in the top-flight this season, while he played 27 times in the league the previous campaign – a sure sign of the trust Bielsa has in him.

And, after a particularly impressive display against Manchester United last season, former Leeds man Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the young starlet.

He said: “I thought he was phenomenal at the back. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this kid. He went through a stage of playing in Kalvin’s role but that was the wrong choice by Bielsa for me. He is a centre-half all day long. You can see him growing in that position.”

Former Leeds ace Dominic Matteo is also a big fan of him, saying: “He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for. He’ll get even better too. Struijk is one to look out for.

“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield. He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”

Now, CIES have him valued at an impressive £17m, and that’s a real testament to the work that he’s done himself in improving every day, and the coaching ability of Bielsa at Elland Road.

The Whites struck absolute gold by landing Struijk on a free, and he’s proving why he could be one of the best steals of the modern era for the Yorkshire club.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta delivered a Leeds masterclass…

Nottingham Forest are set to appoint Steve Cooper as Chris Hughton’s successor at the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by John Percy, with The Telegraph journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Forest are set to officially confirm the arrival of the former Swansea City boss as their new manager at some point today.

Percy goes on to state that the 41-year-old was Dane Murphy’s number one choice for the role, as well as revealing that the Reds agreed to pay the Swans £500k in compensation in order to be able to sign Cooper.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “NFFC are set to confirm the appointment of Steve Cooper on Tuesday. Cooper was the No. 1 choice for new CEO Dane Murphy. Compensation with Swansea was agreed on Friday and is around the £500k mark.”

Fans surely buzzing

Considering the fact that Cooper was linked to clubs such as Crystal Palace, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion this summer, the fact that the 41-year-old has agreed to join Nottingham Forest can easily be viewed as a rather large coup for the club – especially considering their current league position – and is sure to have left the City Ground faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the former Swansea manager appears to be an extremely exciting appointment for the Garibaldi, as the Welshman led the Swans to a top-six finish in both of his seasons at the Liberty Stadium, as well as further enhancing his reputation for developing the club’s younger talents – the latter of which is believed to have been a key factor for the Forest CEO.

As such, as long as Cooper can turn the tide on Forest’s current level of performances in the Championship, and quickly, the future certainly appears to be a great deal brighter in Nottingham than during the last few weeks, as a Hughton-led Forest suffered six losses in seven league games.

In other news: Journalist reveals NFFC talks for “outstanding” £1.8m-rated ace, he’d be a major coup

Everton’s transfer window has been a rather downplayed affair with the Toffees lacking the necessary finances to spend large sums.

An accumulative sum of £1.7m has been spent on four new players and it feels unlikely that they’ll broaden their horizons too much beyond that.

What’s the word?

Everton are still planning on making a few signings before the deadline closes in just under a week’s time.

One of those acquisitions could be a player they had on a trial basis a few years ago; Daniel Jebbison.

The Merseyside outfit were interested in signing the teenager a few months ago and it now looks as though they’re ramping up their pursuit.

According to TEAMtalk, they have made a bid to sign Jebbison who is valued at around £5m.

However, that offer has sadly been rejected.

Their new DCL

Back in 2016 Everton signed a certain Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United.

It took a while for the striker to find his feet at Goodison Park but he was in electric form last season, starring in a central role on his way to scoring 21 goals in all competitions.

After being signed for a mere £1.5m, he has proven to be an absolute bargain.

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He is now a full England international and has started this term as he ended the last; in the goals.

Calvert-Lewin has two in two games and although he’s a unique talent, Jebbison would be looking to follow in his footsteps.

The Canada international burst onto the scene last season in a struggling Sheffield United side, scoring on his first start for the club at Goodison Park.

Described as a “shining light” by Micah Richards, Jebbison has played on six occasions for the Blades despite only turning 18 back in July.

It remains to be seen just how much potential the striker has in his locker but Everton have already enjoyed enormous success by recruiting from Bramall Lane.

This would be a low-risk addition and one that would prove that Finch Farm is still a place to learn your trade after the loss of Thierry Small.

AND in other news, Worse than Kenny: £69k-p/w Everton liability who lost possession 17x let Rafa down…

A significant update has emerged regarding Crystal Palace’s prolonged pursuit of Schalke 04 defender Ozan Kabak.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Bild (as relayed by Sport Witness), the Eagles have ‘offered €8m so far’ for the Turkey international, although fellow Premier League side Leicester City have reportedly matched their £6.78m bid.

Schalke are desperate to offload Kabak this summer after suffering relegation from the German top flight in 2020/21 and are said to be demanding a ‘double-digit million amount’ for their prized asset.

The report added that Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig have turned their attention to the 21-year-old after being priced out of a move for Maxence Lacroix, so Palace chairman Steve Parish may need to move quickly in order to secure the youngster’s services.

Steve Parish must swoop

Kabak enjoyed a relatively successful loan spell at Liverpool in the second half of last season, helping Jurgen Klopp’s charges to a third-place finish in the Premier League after they suffered an injury crisis.

He achieved a respectable 6.72 WhoScored rating from his nine top-flight appearances and impressed Reds assistant manager Pep Lijnders with his solid performances.

“Ozan is a big talent, so much progression is still possible. He adapted fantastically inside our club from a context like Schalke and had an immediate impact with Liverpool FC,” Lijnders told the Merseysiders’ official website.

However, the Anfield outfit decided not to make Kabak’s stay on Merseyside a permanent one, turning down the opportunity to buy the youngster for £18m earlier in the window.

That has left the door open for other clubs to swoop for the 6 foot 1 centre-back, and Parish must attempt to complete a deal for Kabak this summer.

Although Palace have already significantly strengthened their central defensive options following the arrivals of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, the 21-year-old’s price tag makes him a very attractive option.

While signing a striker and right-winger should arguably take priority over another centre-back, the south Londoners could rue missing out on the Schalke ace should he move to another suitor.

His arrival at Selhurst Park would add genuine strength in depth to Patrick Vieira’s squad and provide the new manager with a selection headache that all bosses crave.

In other news… Parish eyes Crystal Palace move for “top class” 14-cap dynamo, Vieira needs him 

Chelsea will be without new signing Romelu Lukaku against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, according to The Athletic.

And, as to be expected, the forward’s expected Stamford Bridge absence has had a lot of Palace fans talking on social media.

The Blues announced the arrival of the Belgium superstar on Thursday evening in a deal worth £97.5m.

He returns to Chelsea after leaving for Everton back in 2014 and has signed a five-year deal with the Champions League winners.

Patrick Vieira will take charge of Palace for the first time competitively against Thomas Tuchel’s side, who look set to be without Lukaku.

David Ornstein suggested that Lukaku’s second Chelsea debut could come against Arsenal on August 22 but he is not available for the opener against Palace.

Palace fans react

The news of Lukaku’s absence against the Eagles caught the attention of these Palace fans on social media. This is what some had to say in reply…

“Thank you god”Credit: @CpfcDan_”Romelu Lukaku won’t be available for Chelsea against Palace this weekend, which is nice.”Credit: @HLTCO”Nice relief, still a tough job”Credit: @andy_lobo”Cheers”Credit: @DSBme2020″Good.”Credit: @joe_cpfc_01″He was scared of being shown up by the king”Credit: @Adam_Palace

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Oh boy’ – Lots of Palace fans go wild as ‘massive’ news is confirmed. 

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped a worrying update on Manchester City’s transfer plans ahead of the window closing on Tuesday evening.

What’s the word?

Despite losing legendary striker Sergio Aguero earlier this year, City are yet to sign a striker to replace the Argentinian and have failed in their pursuits of Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ferran Torres has played up front in each of City’s three Premier League games thus far and whilst he has impressed, scoring twice in the 5-0 win against Arsenal, it would perhaps be unfair to rely on a 21-year-old who has played the majority of his career on the wing to be the main striker for the season.

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However, it seems as if City are out of options after their two recent setbacks and with time running out, a new striker seems unlikely, as Romano wrote in a column for BenchWarmers:

“Manchester City could remain with the current squad after having missed out on Cristiano Ronaldo and especially Harry Kane, the real big goal of the club for months and months.”

Will City struggle without new signings?

Whilst it is easy to argue that City don’t need a forward after winning both of their last two games 5-0, they were playing relegation candidates in Norwich City and an Arsenal side now sitting bottom of the table. Therefore, it would perhaps be better to judge where City are at when they face Leicester City and Chelsea away from home next month.

Although they won the title last season despite regularly playing without a natural striker in their side, they were exposed in their final few games of the season, most predominantly by Chelsea, and were easy to defend against when sending crosses into the box for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

Therefore, fans may well be worried with this update from Romano. It was already bad enough to miss out on Kane but to then fail to seal a deal for one of the greatest of all time in Ronaldo, only confounded their misery in the market.

If they don’t sign a new striker between now and the deadline then they may struggle to adapt their game against tougher opponents or in situations where they need a goal as they showed in the latter stages of last season. As a result, fans will surely be worried by their prospects when teams around them have strengthened so well.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “outstanding” goal-machine after ex-player claim

An update has emerged on Everton target Denzel Dumfries, regarding PSV’s valuation of the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to Eindhoven Dagblad, via SportsLens, Everton transfer target Denzel Dumfries is available for a fee in the region of £12.8m (€15m) this summer as Eredivisie side PSV attempt to rake in as much as possible for their right-back.

The Toffees are reportedly interested in signing the Dutch international this summer as Rafa Benitez looks to strengthen his squad heading into next season.

Everton need him

Marcel Brands must sanction a deal to sign Dumfries this summer as the club need to bring in a new right-back to compete with Seamus Coleman. The Irishman turns 33 in October and struggled at times last season, averaging a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.65 in 25 Premier League appearances under Carlo Ancelotti.

This shows that Benitez could upgrade his side by landing a younger right-back who is able to perform to a higher standard in the top-flight. Dumfries could be the perfect target due to his age, recent performances and his price tag.

In terms of his price, he could be a bargain for the Blues. Norwich chief Stuart Webber recently claimed that it would take an offer in excess of £35m to prize another Everton target, Max Aarons, away from Carrow Road this summer, more than double what PSV seemingly want for Dumfries.

The Dutchman averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.07 for club and country last term, including playing for his country at the European Championships. Aarons, meanwhile, averaged a score of 6.93 for Norwich in the Championship across 45 starts. Whilst that is still an impressive showing from the English defender, it does not warrant him being £20m more expensive than Dumfries.

The PSV man’s performances have also caught the eye of some ex-Everton stars too, with former Toffee Marcus Bent labelling him as a “terrific” talent and saying that fans would be delighted if he came through the door this summer.

He told Football FanCast:

“Speaking to Everton, they said he’s a terrific player, but clubs don’t sell their players when the Euros are on because they can put x number of pounds onto their player. Terrific, quick, pacey, he’s a rocket.

“If the club could get him on the back of what he’s done or whether they could attract him to Goodison is a different point entirely, but if you could get him, the fans would be elated.”

At the age of 25, Dumfries also has plenty of years left ahead of him in his career and could be the long-term successor for Coleman.

This is why Brands must sanction a bargain deal for the defender, as they need a player of his age and quality to come in at right-back.

AND in other news, “That was the disappointment” – Exclusive: Ball fires warning to Rafa on £18m-rated Everton ace…

Aston Villa should look to sign Reading starlet Michael Olise instead of Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had suggested that the French talent is on Dean Smith’s radar as the manager looks to rejuvenate his Villa squad with younger talent, but it now appears that they could be set to lose out on his signature.

According to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam, it’s fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace who are set to sign the 19-year-old, as they look to overhaul the squad for new manager Patrick Vieira at Selhurst Park.

Dream Barkley upgrade

Hailed as “super talented” by Reading manager Veljko Paunović, the teenager has been widely hailed for his skill, with Jose Gomes – his former boss at the Madejski Stadium – adding: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”

That speed of thought and end product is significantly better than what Ross Barkley produced last season in the Premier League while on loan at Villa.

Olise, recorded 12 assists in the Championship alone last term, as well as adding a further seven goals to his name while the £13.5m-rated teenager also ranked in the top ten for most fouled players per game in the Championship, and was second for key passes in the division.

Barkley on the other hand, managed just three goals in the top-flight and one solitary assist, while he also had his issues with injury too – Olise by contrast, missed just two of his side’s 46 Championship games.

With The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently claiming that Arsenal are adamant Smith Rowe won’t be going anywhere, Villa would surely be better off turning their attentions to a target more achievable in Olise.

With Palace however in the driving seat, Johan Lange and co must strike quickly and bring in a target who Smith was looking at potentially signing back in the January transfer window.

With Barkley having gone back to Chelsea after a hugely underwhelming loan spell, Villa could sign a dream upgrade on the 27-year-old in the much younger, and more exciting Olise this summer.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa could wreak havoc with this signing…

Everton’s transfer window is currently plodding along at a snail’s pace.

Rafa Benitez has yet to conclude any business and they are now being left behind by others in the market.

On the chalkboard

One of the key areas that Everton need to strengthen in this summer is in the middle of defence.

Ben Godfrey stood out last term after his move from Norwich, ending the campaign on the periphery of Gareth Southgate’s England squad.

However, they could do with providing some more competition for the Englishman and Michael Keane. Mason Holgate had a shoddy end to the season and Yerry Mina has been linked with the exit door.

One solution was thought to be Ben White. Everton were ready to one-up Arsenal’s bid for the centre-back but a £50m agreement has been reached between the Gunners and Brighton.

Consequently, the Toffees will need to look elsewhere in order to find a new defensive recruit.

A further blow

Everton have lined up some eye-catching acquisitions this summer with Juventus defender Merih Demiral on their radar.

However, if they’re searching for White’s alternative in the form of Kalidou Koulibaly, they may also have to forget all about it.

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We’ve raved about the Senegalese defender on Football FanCast over the last week after it was reported that Benitez was keen on a reunion.

The Napoli star featured 39 times under the Spaniard in Italy and the duo clearly have a healthy relationship.

Unfortunately, they look set to be priced out of a move. £35m was thought to be the initial asking price but an update from Fabrizio Romano should leave him gutted.

The journalist said earlier this week: “It could be a possibility only if Everton will be prepared to spend a lot of money, because last summer Napoli were turning down a proposal from Manchester City for €65m and I think they will be on the same point.  

“Okay, the player is not so young, but he’s the star, one of the stars in Napoli and if they want to sign him it is not around €40m. I see some reports from Italy saying €40m/€45m, I’m told that it’s more than this. It’s far more than this, around €70m, something like this to sign Koulibaly, so it won’t be so easy.”

Considering the qualities the 30-year-old has at his disposal, this should be a devastating blow.

Everton have spent big in recent years but a €70m (£60m) fee would topple their transfer record by a mighty £15m after Gylfi Sigurdsson signed for £45m back in 2017.

After the financial year that most Premier League teams have had, that feels completely out of the realm of possibility.

Everton’s new manager will have to focus on other targets.

AND in other news, Rafa must seal Everton swoop for “special” 13-goal bully who left Pickford heartbroken…