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Aston Villa missed out on a potential upgrade on Douglas Luiz in the shape of USA international Weston McKennie.

What was the story?

The Athletic claimed earlier in the summer transfer window that the midfielder was on the radar for Villa, and that the Premier League side were one of a number of clubs interested in luring him away from Germany.

However, McKennie ended up joining Serie A giants Juventus on a season-long loan instead, with the 22-year-old himself recently explaining why a move to English football didn’t happen.

He said: “In general, I can say that my dream was to go to the Premier League but when Juventus called me, with these players, with this staff, with (Andrea) Pirlo on the bench, they immediately intrigued me. A club that wins is a great challenge. they are the best in the world, it’s perfect for my goals.”

Potential Douglas Luiz upgrade

With Douglas Luiz usually occupying one of the holding midfield spots, whether as part of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, Dean Smith has tasked the Brazilian with sweeping up opposition attacks and helping to set the tempo of the game whilst in possession too.

And the 22-year-old has done that well, even earning himself another couple of appearances for Brazil’s senior side over the international break.

But when compared to McKennie, there’s a real argument to be made that Villa may have missed out on a potential upgrade on the former Manchester City man.

As per Whoscored, McKennie has proven himself to be a far more destructive anchor man, averaging more tackles and interceptions per game (1.4 and 1.6) than Luiz (1.3 and 1.1) last season. The American also appears to be more progressive in possession too, better his key passes per game numbers as well (0.6 to 0.5).

Hailed as an “outstanding talent” by former Huddersfield boss, David Wagner, Villa may rue the fact they didn’t end up signing the £18m-rated powerhouse.

And in other news, Aston Villa should forget about Josh King and Said Benrahma and sign this EFL star instead.

Chinese businessman Sammy Yu has revealed that he has made three attempts to discuss a potential takeover from current Sunderland owner Stewart Donald.

Life at the Wearside club has been full of controversy and drama in recent years, having had the majority of it documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.

Current owner Donald has been a big part of the latest travails at the Stadium of Light, taking over from Ellis Short only to reveal that he wanted to sell the club after just 19 months.

With a second successive failure to gain promotion from League One fresh in the minds of the club’s fans, a claim made by potential new owner Yu is likely to cause more controversy.

Yu, who previously had talks with former owner Short about a potential takeover on Wearside, spoke to Sunderland Echo about his desire to make a bid for the Black Cats but also revealed that communication between himself and Donald was proving tricky.

“For Sunderland, me and my group are always interested,” the Chinese businessman said.“But after two or three different attempts, we found that it’s difficult to communicate with Mr Donald and he hasn’t been giving a proper response to allow a negotiation.“If, one day, he can come up with something concrete and has the appropriate manner to talk, then yes – it’s still on. We’re interested to go forward, but not until then.“At times we were told that we could go ahead and talk,” he continued.“But we never get to the stage where we can talk about concrete terms and conditions of the deal.“It’s quite annoying and we’re quite saddened by it.”

This is probably not going to go down well with Sunderland fans, many of whom have previously criticised Donald’s ownership of the club, and they are unlikely to be impressed with his apparently recurring failure to engage with Yu.

One must wonder what Donald is playing at by refusing to dignify Yu with a response ahead of yet another season at League One level for Sunderland.

Do you think Sammy Yu will come in to replace Donald? Let us know in the comments section below…

Leeds United are finally back in the Premier League, but it looks as though they could be headed there without one of their best players from this season.

Indeed, with Ben White’s loan spell coming to an end the Yorkshire club are without their Young Player of the Year, and unless they buy him back, they’re going to have to find a replacement.

Unfortunately, Purchasing the 22-year-old isn’t going to be straightforward, Graham Potter has made it clear that he doesn’t want to sell him, while others have claimed that the Seagulls value him at £40m, nevertheless, Leeds’ interest remains strong.

Sadly, Leeds may not get another chance to sign him if they don’t land him this summer.

White is set to embark on his first season as a top-flight player, and if he can prove he’s up to scratch his value will only skyrocket seeing as he’s also young and English.

Nathan Ake has just been relegated after a torrid season with Bournemouth that saw him start 29 games for the division’s third-worst defence, and he’s about to get a £41m move to Manchester City.

White is supposedly already valued at £40m after one good season in the Championship, so we could be talking about mind-boggling figures if he performs to a high level in the Premier League, and with Liverpool and Arsenal reportedly already looking at him, it’ll be hard for Leeds to get in on the action if they don’t make the move this summer.

£40m is a lot, but it could look like a snip in a year’s time if White’s form carries over to the top-flight.

If United don’t land him now, they may never ever get another chance at him.

According to The Times’ Chief Sports reporter, Martyn Ziegler, Newcastle’s takeover plans faces a fresh stumbling block posed by the Football Association.

What did he say?

Amid suggestions that the club’s takeover could be given the go-ahead very soon, Ziegler has revealed that the FA has now threatened legal action against Saudi Arabia’s state-owned TV station for the “the illegal broadcast” of FA Cup ties involving the Magpies.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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It’s suggested that English football’s governing body have sent a letter to KSA Sports, “saying the broadcasts infringe the FA’s property rights even though they are old games”.

Ziegler adds in his report that the “development will be another concern” for the Saudi consortium trying to buy the Tyneside club.

Another hurdle

Just when you thought things were beginning to edge towards a satisfying conclusion for Newcastle fans, think again.

Ziegler’s report is just another spanner in the works that threatens to delay the Magpies’ proposed takeover even further, and the waiting game will surely be getting frustrating for fans hoping for some good news.

The Tyneside club will just have to sit back and see whether the Saudi consortium’s legal team can put the matter to rest so that they can press ahead with actually finalising the takeover once and for all.

According to an Argentina-based journalist, Leeds are set to sign Tottenham defender Juan Foyth on loan for next season.

What’s the word?

Despite the Whites’ promotion bid still yet to be confirmed given that the Championship is now set to resume very soon, it appears Marcelo Bielsa’s side are already drawing up plans to strengthen their squad for the following campaign.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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And as per Nicolas Bozza, Spurs centre-back Foyth is going to be heading on loan to Elland Road next season to play under fellow Argentine, Bielsa.

Defensive boost

Whilst Leeds currently have the best defensive record in the division with just 30 goals conceded in their 37 Championship games, the potential step-up to the Premier League will of course present a far biggest test of their credentials.

And whilst Foyth has had his fair share of struggles at Spurs – he conceded two penalties on his debut – he has earned some reviews from the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho.

Upon his arrival in north London, Pochettino declared that the Lilywhites had bought someone with massive potential, and that he is “very aggressive and strong”. And then, even after Spurs’ defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, current boss Mourinho insisted that one of the positive examples he had learned a lot about, was Foyth.

So clearly those who have managed him think highly of him, and the Argentine’s Premier League experience seems like a good fit for a side coming up from the division below. If Victor Orta can complete a loan deal for the 6 foot 2 man, then their chances of survival next season in the top-flight will take a boost.

Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to some hilarious comments from Ally McCoist, who shared a story on TalkSPORT of his time at Ibrox with Paul Gascoigne.

You didn’t really think McCoist was running out of amazing stories about Gazza, did you?

The former Gers target man was back on TalkSPORT again on Thursday, reeling out yet another classic encounter from his days alongside one of the most talented and enigmatic players of all time.

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This time, the ex-striker revealed a bust-up between the pair that led to a victory in the 1996 League Cup final, explaining how a misunderstanding over where to pass the ball escalated: “I ran up and I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and I said: ‘You ever try to make a fool of me in front of 60,000 again, and I’ll rip your head off!’

“He said to me: ‘Is that right? Let’s get this sorted out right now!’”

He continued to explain how Walter Smith demanded they stop arguing at half-time, only to grab Gascoigne by the scruff of the neck and hang him up on a coat peg.

“Eventually when it calmed down Gazza got up, went out of the dressing room and straight into the director’s room – in his gear by the way! – and had a whiskey.

“He threw it down his neck, came back into the dressing room, sat down, Walter did his team talk, he walked out for the second half and he scored two goals. He was unbelievable.”

Of course, it was McCoist himself who scored the other two goals in the epic 4-3 encounter, also playing a part in Gazza’s late winner.

Fans on Twitter have been loving the tale, praising Gazza as “the ultimate football maverick” while one supporter admitted it is “sad” that stories such as these won’t exist in football anymore. Check out some of the best responses down below…

Rangers fans fume after St Mirren’s CEO reveals his title verdict…

Former Leeds United midfielder Michael Brown has predicted that Jean-Kevin Augustin will make a big impact in the club’s promotion run-in, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Augustin arrived at Elland Road on loan in January to plenty of fanfare, but he is yet to make a start with Patrick Bamford continuing to be preferred in the centre-forward position.

There were some doubts initially that he was not fit enough for Marcelo Bielsa to select him and he only made three substitute appearances prior to the season’s suspension.

However, Brown has now tipped him to make a big impact when the season restarts, claiming he looks fitter than before.

“Augustin started off slowly because he was not 100% fitness-wise but hopefully with this break he can get a lot sharper and a lot fitter – he certainly looks it – and contribute and start pushing for a first-team place,” he told Football Insider.

“That is what Leeds United would want, a healthy squad in top condition. All of the players pushing each other and driving them over the line to promotion.

“But it is hard to change when you have done so well. They are top of the league so I have full faith in why Bielsa would not change it.”

Quiz: How much do you remember of Leeds’ last season in the Premier League?

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Fitness first

Bamford has been a consistent performer for Leeds but is lacking in terms of pure goalscoring prowess, managing 13 goals from his 36 appearances.

Therefore, the emergence of Augustin could prove a real boost as Leeds look to secure promotion and if he has indeed improved his fitness levels, this can only be a positive.

Since making the move abroad from Manchester City, Jadon Sancho has taken to German football like a duck to water.

The 19-year-old has been electric for Borussia Dortmund since joining the club back in the summer of 2017, providing 18 goals and a further 31 assists across all competitions.

That form has naturally seen his name linked with a move away from Germany, with clubs like City and Manchester United reported to be interested in securing his signature in the future.

Now, The Daily Mail claim the teenager is keen to leave Dortmund, thus “giving his growing list of admirers further encouragement”.

After hearing the update on their pursuit of Sancho, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the developing situation.

Many supporters of the Manchester side voiced their concerns over potentially signing the England international, with one fan in particular claiming that he isn’t even better than £15m man Daniel James.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Aston Villa ended a run of three consecutive league defeats by beating Newcastle United 2-0 on Monday evening.

It was a goal and assist from Conor Hourihane that secured the points for Dean Smith’s side, but Jack Grealish certainly played his part in earning the victory as well.

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Villareport offered some statistics to show just how effective he was during a win that saw the team jump up to 15th in the Premier League table.

He also made a contribution for the opening goal of the game, stopping the ball as part of Hourihane’s free-kick routine that came off so delightfully.

Villa fans were full of compliments for their captain following the game, as he continued his impressive form since helping Villa get back into top tier football.

As well as the applause from supporters, Chris Sutton called his performance “outstanding, wonderful to watch” on Twitter.

So far, Grealish has managed four goals and four assists in 11 Premier League starts and two Carabao Cup substitute appearances.

While there is obvious joy at how well the homegrown talent has done for the club, there is also a tinge of frustration for Villa fans.

That is because of the fact that Grealish is still being ignored by Gareth Southgate for a place in the England squad, even with Tyrone Mings and Tom Heaton being picked since joining Villa in the summer.

The Villa talisman made seven appearances for England U21s, scoring twice against Guinea, but is yet to make his debut for the senior side.

In other news, a former Villa man has made a recommendation for who they should sign in January.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

So, have fans managed to get over the high that was Friday night?

Have we all calmed down now, taken a step back and put things in a little bit more perspective?

The Southampton result will more than likely go down as one of the bigger talking points of the campaign, not just among the Foxes faithful, but the rest of the Premier League as well.

The one thing that was pleasing about the result and this was something that Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers touched on after the game speaking to Sky Sports, was the manner they dealt with the Saints going down to ten men.

The way that they were so ruthless and wanted to keep going even though the game was out of reach for the opposition was incredibly impressive and something that Rodgers and the team need to take a lot of credit for.

The fact that they decided to keep going now puts their goal difference better than the top side Liverpool’s and will give them a huge advantage as the season goes on.

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However, there has been a lot of talk coming out of the game that just needs to be calmed down somewhat.

Whilst the result was fantastic, bear in mind that it was against a team that was struggling in the league and down to ten men, they won’t get that lucky again this campaign, and now it seems like everybody’s expectations of what Leicester can achieve have skyrocketed.

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have spoken about how Leicester can fight for the Champions League places (Sky Sports via Leicester Live) and you’ve even got the likes of Neville talking about how Brendan Rodgers should be considered to take over Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Check out the best fan reaction from Southampton 0-9 Leicester in the video below…

It just seems like people are starting to get ahead of themselves.

Barring any disasters, Manchester City and Liverpool will fight it out for the title and take up two of the spots.

Chelsea are finally turning themselves around under Frank Lampard, sitting fourth, and could take another one of those top four spots, meaning there’s just one place left for them to fight for.

Whilst it looks like there may be a drop off from the rest of the ‘big teams’ like Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United, as there was in 2015-16 which allowed Leicester to win the title, the quality of the players at the former two could eventually prevail and they will get themselves organised once again to fight for that spot.

It’s all well and good being among the big clubs now, but staying there is going to be an even bigger challenge.