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Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that it would be harsh for his old side to ditch Dean Smith and hire Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Earlier this week, it was revealed by Football Insider that super-agent Jorge Mendes, who represents Nuno, is looking to move his client to another club with more financial resources like Aston Villa.

Smith has done a great job at Villa since taking over back in 2018, guiding the Villans to the Premier League and helping them to retain their status there. Considering that, Hendrie believes it would be a brutal move to push him aside for Nuno.

Speaking exclusively to FFC on the subject, the ex-Villa player said:

“I feel that it would be a bit harsh if Dean was pushed aside to let in Nuno at this current stage because I feel that Villa have built from last season.

“They have been a little inconsistent, but I do feel that if we can bring in two or three or four players next season, why can’t we be a force next season and push for Europe? I do feel Dean can do that.

“He’s got a good understanding of the players, he’s got a good bond, so if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

Smith has done nothing to warrant a dismissal. Looking at the Premier League table, Villa are sitting pretty after being brought back to English football’s top flight by the 50-year-old in the first place.

According to a report by talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, West Ham United are leading the race to sign goalkeeper Sam Johnstone from West Bromwich Albion – prompting many Hammers fans to rave as GSB allegedly eye the possible ‘great signing’.

Johnstone, who has attracted praise for his performances this season, also earned his first ever England call up by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate recently.

The 28-year-old, as a result of his fine form, is in high demand – but Crook believes West Ham are the frontrunners for his signature.

David Moyes is apparently on the look out for an eventual heir to current number one Lukasz Fabianski, with the Poland international recently putting pen to paper on a new deal. 

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The Evening Standard report that Johnstone could even cost as little as £10 million, especially considering WBA’s relegation.

Now that West Ham are in pole position to sign the shot-stopping ace, many Irons supporters have raved over the news on social media – with one calling the Englishman a potentially ‘great signing’.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fan rave as GSB eye Johnstone

“Get in. Great signing if we get it done”

Credit: @muzza210

“Would be a fantastic signing”

Credit: @Mr_BA6

“Defo not against this. Brilliant keeper”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

“Fantastic news!”

Credit: @WestHam_Central

“Would be an absolute bargain”

Credit: @Arthur_WHU

“YESSSSSSS”

Credit: @WHUFC_News_

“Very good signing imo, fab not getting any younger had a few injuries over the last 2 seasons Johnstone good competition for that no1 spot”

Credit: @happyhammer190

In other news: West Ham fans also flocked to this teasing ExWHUemployee claim, find out more here.

Wilfried Zaha has constantly been linked with a move away from Crystal Palace, with Arsenal always appearing to be his likely destination but former Eagle Marcus Bent is not sure big clubs will look to sign him this summer.

The Ivory Coast international has seen fresh new links this week emerge which have suggested that both Everton and Tottenham Hotspur could look to pounce on the winger who has just two years left on his contract, and subsequently could be available for around £40m.

Palace are set to embark on their first Premier League season without Roy Hodgson for four years and whoever is appointed as his successor may have to navigate the Eagles away from the relegation zone without their talisman.

Zaha may want to leave this summer and Palace may feel this is the last time for them to receive a big offer for the winger, but will any clubs snap him up? Bent is not convinced they will as he spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“I think they will be tempted to sell him but the problem is, who would want to buy him? I’m not saying nobody would want to buy him but we spoke about Everton and how they wanted to take him on two years ago, because that was when he was young and fresh.

“I mean two or three years ago Man City would have taken him but now, who’s going to take a risk on him? Is he going to be consistent enough at another club? So, I don’t know whether they will try and cash in on him this summer. Will they get the money that will allow them to sign a few new players?”

Zaha may have well and truly put himself in the shop window after putting up his best numbers in front of goal in his entire career, finishing on 11 goals and as the club’s top scorer.

After Hodgson announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season, it may have forced Zaha to seriously consider his future and if he wants to risk playing under a manager who may not allow him to play as Hodgson did.

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham and GSB are ‘willing to pay £20million-plus’ for powerhouse midfielder Alex Kral as they enter advanced talks for his signing.

The Lowdown: West Ham and Kral…

Kral is said to be heavily on the Hammers radar, with club insider ExWHUemployee recently saying that the club hope to get a deal for him done before the European Championships start (West Ham Way Podcast).

Before that, Sky Sports also claimed that the Hammers have held discussions with his representatives alongside four other Premier League sides.

If the club can complete an agreement for Kral, he will become another member of West Ham’s contingent from the Czech Republic alongside 2020 summer signings Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.

The Latest: Hammers enter advanced talks…

Now, bringing a development, Football Insider claim that West Ham are in advanced talks to sign the player although, contrary to other reports, a deal is not yet done.

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To complete an agreement, GSB are said to be willing to pay over £20m – with negotiations progressing well behind the scenes.

Indeed, the fee is yet to be agreed upon completely with Spartak Moscow as well as the payment structure – but discussions are apparently at an advanced stage as West Ham aim to make a third Czech international signing after Soucek and Coufal.

The Verdict: Promising update…

Kral impressed in the Russian Premier League over 2020/2021, averaging as many interceptions per 90 (1.8) in midfield as Declan Rice did for West Ham last season (WhoScored).

Indeed, the 6 foot 1 defensive midfielder also managed to get forward on occasion – supplying five assists for his teammates and standing out as one of Spartak’s key players.

Rice missed a portion of West Ham’s run-in at the end of last campaign through injury and having a capable alternative like Kral may supply manager David Moyes with some much needed strength in depth.

Therefore, this update should come as a promising one for supporters as their side gear up for what should be a very interesting 2021/2022 campaign.

In other news: ExWHUemployee’s ‘refreshing’ update has these Irons talking, find out more here.

If West Ham fail to secure Jesse Lingard’s services on a permanent basis next season, David Moyes might look to sign a replacement for the Manchester United attacker.

Lingard contributed 14 goals in 16 Premier League appearances following his January arrival from United to help the Hammers qualify for Europe for the first time for five years.

But Dean Windass told Football FanCast that Moyes might not have to splash the cash in a bid to replace Lingard.

Step forward Said Benrahma. The Algerian star arrived at the London Stadium on Deadline Day in a £26m deal last October, but generally played a bit-part role in his first campaign as a Premier League player.

Benrahma did chip in with seven assists, bettered only by Aaron Cresswell, but the ex-Brentford forward made just 14 league starts, and scored just the once, although it was a belting equaliser at Brighton last month which rescued a point.

Despite his difficult first 12 months in east London, Windass believes that with Lingard’s future uncertain, this could be Benrahma’s opportunity to step up to the plate.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“Benrahma has got a massive season ahead of him, go into that Jesse Lingard role on the left.”

Asked whether he could essentially be Lingard’s replacement, Windass continued: “Yes. £26m, you have got to step up now. And the boy is a talent by the way, don’t get me wrong but that will be his place on the left-hand side now.”

Graham Roberts believes that both Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte are winners as the duo are linked with the Tottenham Hotspur manager’s job.

Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho back in April and have yet to appoint a permanent replacement, with Ryan Mason taking charge for the end of the season.

Mourinho was hailed as a winner when he was appointed, but he ended his reign at Spurs without a trophy, although he did guide the club to the League Cup final. He was sacked the week prior to that fixture against Manchester City, with Mason overseeing a defeat at Wembley.

Spurs were heavily linked with a sensational swoop to bring Pochettino back to the club from PSG but Conte now appears to be the frontrunner, with reports suggesting that he is in talks with Spurs over the job.

Roberts believes that both managers are “winners”, and he has urged Spurs to back whomever is appointed with significant funds in the transfer market, learning from the mistakes of Pochettino’s first reign.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts said: “But they’re all winners. Mourinho was a winner. It’s how you treat the players, I think Pochettino’s a winner, but he needed the ammunition, he needed the back-up, when he got to the League Cup final, semi-finals of the FA Cup, he needed an upgrade but we had no money because we were building a new stadium and playing at Wembley.

“And it was costing like 20 million pounds to play there. Now he’s got a stadium, the fans will be back, the club have to back him (the manager).”

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts insists that the club can sell Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez this summer.

Spurs endured a difficult season under the management of Jose Mourinho and ultimately finished seventh, with their final few games being managed by Ryan Mason after the Portuguese was sacked.

The north London club struggled defensively throughout the season and conceded 45 goals, more than any side that finished in the top four.

Dier made 28 appearances in the Premier League in total but his performances have lost him his place in the England squad, with the 27-year-old not being picked for Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad.

£40m man Sanchez, by comparison, made 18 appearances in the top-flight, and lost his place in the Spurs side towards the end of the campaign.

Roberts believes that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris needs defenders that he can trust, but he does not think that either Sanchez or Dier are good enough.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Lloris needs people in front of him that he can trust, instead of it being changing every game, he needs two centre-halves there that he can trust.

“We can get rid of Sanchez, we can get rid of Dier, and all those, get money in, go big on your two centre-halves and your right-back and I think we’ll have a decent outfit.”

Manchester United could be about to make a huge mistake in the transfer window after Diogo Dalot was linked with a permanent Old Trafford exit.

What’s the story?

According to The Express, the 22-year-old is one of several fringe players who will be allowed to depart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this summer.

Despite struggling for form throughout his United career, Dalot impressed during a season-long loan spell with Italian giants AC Milan last term, showcasing his top-class potential.

Manchester United heading for a mistake

Throughout his 12-month spell at San Siro, the Portugal Under-21 international made 33 appearances in all competitions, achieving a highly respectable 6.76 WhoScored rating along the way.

His contribution to the success of Stefano Pioli’s charges was sizeable, making 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, and 1.8 clearances per league game as the Rossoneri finished in second place in the Serie A standings.

Dalot’s aforementioned figures had him amongst the top-six performers compared to his teammates for each attribute, highlighting the progress he made in his time away from English football.

The youngster’s impressive displays earned praise from Milan manager Pioli, who claimed the United gem “will become a complete player” in the future.

Although it’s easy to understand why large sections of the Red Devils’ fanbase and the club’s hierarchy may be prepared to cut ties with Dalot, selling him this summer could prove to be a costly error.

After making just 35 first-team appearances since making a £20 million move to United from Porto back in 2018, the pacey full-back found himself on the fringes of Solskjaer’s squad.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was brought in as the club’s long-term solution to their right-sided conundrum, but the former Crystal Palace man’s own attacking deficiencies have seen Kieran Trippier linked with a move to the 20-time English champions.

While the England international may be a sensible short-term signing, he’s fast approaching his 31st birthday, and before long, Solskjaer will be faced with the same issue.

However, allowing Dalot another campaign or two to develop on loan away from the intense spotlight at United could be the perfect solution.

He appears to have the potential to turn into the ideal modern-day full-back, and Solskjaer should keep faith in him a little while longer, even if that means loaning him out for another season.

And, in other news…Man United handed huge transfer boost over “perfect” £77m beast, Ole will be buzzing 

Manchester City right-back Yan Couto enjoyed a superb campaign on loan with Girona and he could well prove to be the next Joao Cancelo in Pep Guardiola’s side in the future.

The Brazilian defender, who was signed from Brazilian Serie A side Coritiba in March of last year, looks to have an extremely bright future if his performances on loan are anything to go by.

Last season saw the 19-year-old join Manchester City’s sister club Girona on loan in the Spanish second division, and he was a key player for Juan Carlos Unzué’s side throughout the campaign.

The right-back, who can also feature further forward down the right-hand side, would play 29 times in all competitions for the Spanish side, in which he contributed two goals and five assists.

As per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, the teenage defender was named “the best” right-back in the division last season, whilst he also dubbed him a “superb talent”.

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He suggests that the youngster averaged one key pass, 1.8 dribbles, 1.3 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per 90 minutes for Girona, which is extremely similar to the numbers averaged by Cancelo in Guardiola’s side last season.

The Portugal international would average 1.6 key passes, 1.7 dribbles, 2.4 tackles and 1.5 interceptions in the Premier League, in a campaign where he was one of the most consistent players in Guardiola’s side.

Whilst he has the better of Couto overall for now, there is no reason why the Brazilian won’t be producing these sorts of numbers at the Etihad in the future.

He looks to be an extremely attacking full-back, so could fit in well with City’s current tactic of pushing the right-back high up the pitch and into midfield, whilst the left-back usually plays a more conservative role.

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Although Guardiola will most likely stick with Kyle Walker and Cancelo as his first-choice right-backs next season, he will surely have been made aware of Couto’s superb performances out on loan, so fans may not have too long to wait until they see the Brazilian pull on a Man City shirt for the first time.

And, in other news… Txiki must sign “world class” beast for Man City 

A major update has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search and it is sure to leave many supporters fuming…

What’s the word?

According to Daily Mail journalist Ian Ladyman, former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is moving fast through a depleted pool of candidates and has now emerged as the leading contender to finally replace Jose Mourinho.

The 47-year-old is said to have the backing of recently-appointed director of football Fabio Paratici and now chairman Daniel Levy too.

Spurs have missed out on as many as eight different candidates throughout the nine weeks since the Portuguese was sacked, so with pre-season now only ten days away, they must make an appointment sooner rather than later.

No to Nuno

Indeed, the pressure was already on Levy and co to find the right man, having been faced with fan protests in recent months, but the fact that so many names have come and gone is worrying. Despite the lack of remaining options, though, it seems that Nuno is not a popular option whatsoever.

The Lilywhites had initially pursued the likes of Bayern-bound Julian Nagelsmann, Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers and Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, but all were quickly ruled out of the running. They then attempted to make a sensational return for Mauricio Pochettino and held firm talks with Chelsea’s former Premier League-winning manager Antonio Conte.

Those names are certainly a cut above the recent ones mooted with taking over, including Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso – and just like the latter, a social media campaign has been trending actively against the appointment of Nuno.

Unlike the Italian, it’s not because of a controversial and brash past, but instead it’s over his brand of football and the lack of ambition the club are showing when there are names like Ernesto Valverde available on the market.

The responses to the Daily Mail’s report highlights exactly the mood in north London right now. For example, one supporter claimed that it would be a “devastating to end” their job search with a manager known for his “dour style of football” when there are plenty of other successful names out there.

Futhermore, another replied that it would be a “terrible appointment” which will have been “made out of desperation”, whilst a further fan suggested it was all just “embarrassing.”

Those may only be three responses but they all echo the thoughts of many who have pushed the #NoToNuno campaign on social media right now.

This latest news will likely leave many in N17 absolutely furious as their managerial hunt looks to be teetering towards a disappointing end.

AND in other news, Spurs can wave goodbye to Kane if Levy hires 47 y/o coach who shows a “lack of intent”…