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Aston Villa fans should be excited by the arrival of Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, who claimed in a post on Twitter that Michael Beale, Gerrard’s number two at Rangers and likely assistant at Villa, is widely considered to be something of a genius behind the scenes.

Evans went on to share Jordan Campbell’s article for The Athletic regarding Beale’s route into coaching, the influence the 41-year-old has during training and his importance in implementing Gerrard’s tactical vision within a team.

In his tweet, Evans simply said: “Michael Beale is described as a ‘genius’.”

Fans should be excited

While Gerrard’s appointment as the new Aston Villa manager will undoubtedly steal the headlines over the coming days, should Beale indeed follow the former Liverpool captain to Villa Park, fans should be equally as excited about the appointment of the coach as they are about Gerrard.

Indeed, having gained experience as a coach in both the Chelsea and Liverpool academies, Beale also spent a brief spell as Rogerio Ceni’s number two at Brazilian side Sao Paulo, before returning to England as Liverpool’s head of academy coaching in the summer of 2017.

He would spend just one season in this role, as, following Gerrard’s appointment at Rangers in 2018, the 41-year-old manager offered Beale a role as his assistant at Ibrox, which he duly accepted.

In Glasgow, Gerrard – and Beale – would go on to transform Rangers, winning the club’s first league title for a decade in considerable style, with Gers remaining undefeated for the entirety of the 2020/21 Premiership campaign, as well as reaching the last 16 of the Europa League in each of the last two seasons.

Beale’s role in this success is undeniable, with the 41-year-old coach being understood to lead the vast majority of Rangers’ first-team training – taking a particularly hands-on role with the club’s midfielders and forwards – as well as watching the first half of Rangers’ fixtures from the stands, in order to gain a better tactical understanding of what is happening in a match before offering his findings to Gerrard at half time.

Furthermore, Beale has drawn considerable praise for the work he has done thus far in his career, with Gerrard himself stating of the coach: “It would take me 15-20 years to become as good as Michael Beale as an on-pitch coach, delivering sessions on a daily basis, so I let Mick be Mick because he’s the expert.”

The former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday also claimed that the 41-year-old is one of the best coaches he has ever worked with, stating: “He’s probably the best coach I’ve worked under. His attention to detail and defensive organisation is incredible… it’s the clarity and the role he gives every single player within the system. It’s very refreshing as a player to go into a game and know exactly what’s expected of you.”

As such, while Gerrard is very much the face of the operation, Beale is undoubtedly the brains, with his potential appointment at Villa being an extremely big positive for the club, players and supporters alike.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops major Aston Villa manager update that will have fans elated

A Rangers update has emerged regarding the thoughts of one of their managerial candidates on taking over the Gers and leading a new era at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, Gio van Bronckhorst wants his entire backroom staff in place for his first day in the job, should he get the role, with Jean-Paul van Gastel being eyed as his assistant.

It has, however, been claimed that he would normally reject a club because of the timing in the season, but will be unable to turn down Rangers amid a plethora of offers from elsewhere.

They quote an inside source as saying:

“If Giovanni is to be the next Rangers manager then he’ll want to do it professionally. He won’t want his staff arriving in dribs and drabs.

“He normally wouldn’t want to start a job mid-season for this very reason but this is Rangers we are talking about. There’s an emotional pull which is too strong to ignore.

“He’s not been short of offers from elsewhere but this club has always held a huge place in his heart and if he is offered the chance on the right terms then he won’t be able to turn this opportunity down.”

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with these quotes from the Daily Record insider source. They suggest that van Bronckhorst has a genuine love for the club as he is willing to make an exception to his usual rules on taking a job in order to put himself in contention.

The Gers are 13 games into the Premiership season and still competing in the group stages of the Europa League, which means that the Dutchman will be arriving without a settling-in period. He will not have a pre-season to get his ideas across or to prepare for the campaign ahead and will, instead, be thrown in at the deep end – potentially without his full backroom staff in place – and be expected to pick up results.

For van Bronckhorst to be so eager to take the job under these conditions is a credit to him and will surely leave fans buzzing with his mentality and commitment to the club and indeed, the vacant position. These inside quotes provide an excellent insight into the 46-year-old’s love for Rangers and the supporters will appreciate having somebody in charge who is so affectionate towards the Gers.

It is now down to Ross Wilson to decide on whether or not he wants to commit to appointing the ex-Feyenoord boss this week. However, after hearing this news, the fans will surely warm to the appointment quickly judging by the immediate passion he could display in the dugout at Ibrox.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Journo drops Rangers manager update that’ll surely please fans…

Everton could form a formidable defensive partnership after being linked with a move for Inter centre-back Stefan de Vrij ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

According to 90min, the Toffees are one of several Premier clubs keen to secure the 29-year-old’s services, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also listed as potential suitors.

It’s claimed that De Vrij has been offered to the Magpies after they joined football’s financial elite following their recent takeover, but Everton and Spurs still retain an interest.

With the Dutch international having just 18 months left to run on his current contract – and Inter needing to lower their wage bill – the £45m-rated colossus could be available for a bargain fee this winter.

Since his arrival at San Siro back in 2018, De Vrij has established himself as one of Europe’s most dominant centre-halves, making 139 appearances for the Nerazzurri in all competitions.

And the highlight of his career came last season when the 6 foot 2 beast played a pivotal part in Inter’s first Serie A title success in 11 years, ending Juventus’ run of nine consecutive victories.

Amongst De Vrij’s list of admirers is former Lazio teammate Mauricio, who lauded his quality to ESPN (via Football Italia), saying: “Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster! He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”

Recent reports have claimed that Benitez could have up to £35m to spend in the January window after splashing out just £1.6m on Demarai Gray over the summer, and De Vrij could be the ideal candidate to bring in using that money.

Everton have kept just three clean sheets all campaign, conceding three or more goals on three occasions, including a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of newly-promoted Watford.

Therefore, defensive reinforcements may well be prioritised by the Merseyside outfit, and De Vrij would make for the perfect partner for the highly-rated Ben Godfrey.

The 23-year-old is still very much learning his craft at Goodison Park, but his versatility, mobility and tackling ability highlight a promising future, while De Vrij’s experience, passing range and concentration would superbly compliment the youngster.

As a result, their partnership would have the potential to transform Everton’s fortunes this season, and Marcel Brands should carefully consider sanctioning a move for a player that the club’s supporters would surely love based on his wonderful list of expertise.

And, in other news…Huge boost: Everton receive selection uplift ahead of BFC, Rafa will be delighted 

West Ham United are plotting a move for Nathaniel Phillips in the January transfer window, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim that the Irons are lining up a swoop for the Liverpool colossus at the turn of the year after suffering a devastating season-ending injury blow to first-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna.

An inside source has told the site that the 24-year-old, who is way down the pecking order at Anfield, is amongst their list of defensive targets this winter and that the Hammers have been laying the groundwork for a potential switch.

It’s thought that around £12m would be enough to seal his signature on a permanent basis, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate all earning minutes ahead of him.

Bargain solution

With Ogbonna facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, there’s no knowing if he will ever return to David Moyes’ plans, especially given that he is currently 33 and in the final year of his contract.

Phillips at 24 makes a lot of sense as he wouldn’t be a temporary short-term fix, let alone an expensive one. His experience across the Premier League and in Europe could even make him a considerable upgrade, having featured 23 times for the Reds across all competitions.

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The £25m-rated academy gem particularly impressed last season, where he filled in during an injury crisis at Anfield, with Van Dijk absent due to an ACL injury, the very same thing which has now afflicted Ogbonna.

He caught the eye of Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, who dubbed his towering 6 foot 3 defender an aerial “monster” after a particularly glowing display against RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

Phillips featured in both matches against the east Londoners in 2020/21 and helped his team to two victories, including one in which he silenced Michail Antonio entirely. As per SofaScore, when Liverpool won 3-1 away to Moyes’ side last January, the Irons talisman was limited to one shot on target and one successful dribble from three attempts, whilst he had only three passes all game and lost 66.6% of his duels.

Indeed, across his time in Merseyside and his loan spell at 2. Bundesliga champions Stuttgart, Phillips has won an average of 4.8 aerial duels per game, as well as four clearances and 1.4 tackles per match, via WhoScored.

Considering his value, experience and availability, Irons head of recruitment Rob Newman could quite easily land Moyes a bargain solution to his centre-back problem with a swoop for Phillips this January.

On the above evidence, he would be a perfect signing to fill that void, with Kurt Zouma the first-choice and another place effectively up for grabs.

AND in other news, Forget Rice: “Important” Hammers gem who had 53 touches was Moyes’ one silver lining vs City…

An update has emerged regarding the availability of three key Rangers players prior to heading away with their country for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

What’s the talk?

According to The Scotsman, the Gers are set to hold talks with the Nigerian FA to discuss whether or not Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun will be able to play in the Old Firm derby at the start of January.

The report claims that the trio are all due to jet away with Nigeria ahead of AFCON on December 27 and would miss the derby clash on January 2, with Rangers now set for discussions over a deal to keep them around for that match before releasing them for international duty.

GVB would love it

Ross Wilson could pull off a Rangers masterclass by convincing the Nigerian FA to hold off on calling up the trio before the match against Celtic. Giovanni van Bronckhorst would surely love it if he could have all of them available for the game, as they are all valuable members of the squad.

SofaScore have Aribo (5th), Balogun (9th) and Bassey (10th) all within the club’s top 10 performers in terms of average ratings in the Premiership this season. They have all averaged a score of 7.03 or higher in the league, showing that they have been performing consistently to an impressive standard so far this term.

This highlights their importance to the side and why it would be a masterclass from Wilson if he is able to successfully negotiate their availability against Celtic. Van Bronckhorst will want all of his best players at his disposal for that game and the statistics suggest that all three fall into that category.

Bassey, in particular, has shot to prominence under the Dutchman since the 43-year-old replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm. The left-back has played in the centre of defence over the last five competitive matches and the Gers have only conceded two goals in that time.

Hopefully, Wilson will be able to convince the Nigerian FA to allow the trio to play against Celtic in these crunch talks and Rangers will have a full squad available. Whilst the three will still miss an as yet undetermined period of time during AFCON, having them in the team against the Hoops could be a major boost as they are the Gers’ closest title rivals as it stands.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: “Exemplary” Rangers beast who won 88% duels finally took chance under GvB…

Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is a player Leeds United are targeting in the January transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Barkley a Chelsea outcast

The 28-year-old has struggled for playing time at Stamford Bridge this season, starting just one Premier League game and finding himself way down the midfield pecking order.

Barkley may still have aspirations of making England’s 2022 World Cup squad, in order to add to his 33 caps, but will of course may need to play more for that to happen.

The former Everton man has been linked with a January loan move to Leeds in recent days, as Marcelo Bielsa eyes up reinforcements in the middle of the park.

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The Latest: Journalist confirms Leeds’ interest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke confirmed Barkley is indeed on Leeds’ list of potential signings, talking up the idea of the move happening:

“I believe he is on their list of targets. Leeds have had a slow start to this season by their standards from last season and are sitting at the wrong end of the table.”

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The Verdict: Exciting midfield option

Barkley hasn’t fulfilled his huge promise as a youngster, having been compared to Liverpool and England legend Steven Gerrard, but he remains a talented footballer who could be a good addition at Leeds.

Former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith described him as ‘tremendous’ during his loan spell at Villa Park last season.

Barkley would offer something different to more defence-minded figures such as Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw, scoring and assisting eight times apiece for Everton back in 2015/16.

Granted, he hasn’t been as prolific since then, but his ability to create chances – he has averaged 2.5 key passes per game in the Carabao Cup this season – coupled with Bielsa hopefully improving him and re-finding that confidence in the final third, means he is worth the risk on loan.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a Leeds injury update. Read more here.

Leeds United should ‘seriously consider’ making a January move for Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Alli’s fall from grace

Alli was one of the hottest properties in English football at one point, scoring 18 Premier League goals in the 2016/17 season when he was only just out of his teens.

He has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Arsenal hero Ian Wright but his stock has fallen rapidly of late, with only six league starts coming his way this season and none since the arrival of Antonio Conte.

It means a January exit could potentially be on the cards, and Leeds are desperately in need of a new midfielder, with Phil Hay believing the plan is to go shopping for one in January after the injury to Kalvin Phillips.

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The Latest: Leeds backed to sign Spurs man

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Alli is an option Victor Orta and co would have to weigh up if the opportunity arrived to sign him:

“Not to rule out Leeds, either. I think if Dele Alli was there and he wanted to go to Leeds, it’s something they would have to seriously consider.”

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The Verdict: Worth a gamble?

Alli’s reputation has undoubtedly diminished over time but he is such a talented footballer and he may just require a fresh challenge.

He is still a player with 37 England caps to his name, not to mention scoring 51 goals and registering 37 assists in 179 Premier League appearances.

Granted, he wouldn’t be a signing to accommodate the loss of Phillips to injury, given his attack-minded nature, but Marcelo Bielsa may believe he could get the best out of him, and he would certainly add quality depth to a side whose injury concerns are becoming a full-blown crisis.

In other news, a journalist has made another Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

According to reports by Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie (via GIVEMESPORT), Atlético Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier remains eager to join Newcastle United, despite reports of the Magpies facing obstacles in their pursuit.

The Lowdown

Trippier arrived at Atlético Madrid in 2019 following a £20m move from Tottenham Hotspur. Since his arrival in Spain, the 31-year-old has been an integral part of Diego Simeone’s side, having made 85 appearances for Los Rojiblancos.

This season, Simeone has utilised the England international more prominently as a right midfielder, compared to his traditional right-back role.

However, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023, Trippier is keen to secure himself one final big-money contract.

The Latest

Football Insider have previously reported that talks had stalled due to the player’s wage demands, with the 31-year-old seeking a three-and-a-half year deal worth £22m.

However, according to reports by Downie (via GIVEMESPORT), Trippier remains seriously interested at the prospect of securing a Premier League switch to Newcastle, with the player believing that this could be final chance to secure one last lucrative contract.

This comes as Downie feels that the full-back is hoping to seal a move back to England following his two-and-a-half year stint for the Spanish champions.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “From what I’m hearing, I think the player would be keen to come. I think he’s ready for a move back to England and probably realises he’s got one big contract left in his career, so Newcastle would tick those boxes for him.”

The Verdict

With Newcastle sitting 19th in the Premier League table, it is evident that Eddie Howe needs to strengthen his leaky backline, as his team have picked up just four points in six matches with the former Bournemouth manager in charge this season.

With this in mind, Trippier could prove to be the perfect addition to the Magpies’ squad. England manager Gareth Southgate has said that, ever since arriving in Spain, the 31-year-old has become a ‘defensive animal’ who is ‘trusted by one of the best and most successful coaches in the world’ in Simeone.

Having made 107 appearances in the Premier League already, Trippier could provide the much-needed experience that Newcastle’s backline so desperately needs as they seek to retain their top-flight status.

In other news: 36-cap attacker who Alan Shearer called ‘superb’ is now open to joining Newcastle

Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened, this will give Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard the chance to make his mark on the squad at Villa Park and get them ready to make a push up the league table in the second half of the season.

With that in mind, it seems as though the club have their eye on someone that could bring some real star quality to Villa.

According to a recent club-by-club transfer guide from the Daily Mail, the Midlands club are interested in signing Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski.

Juventus signed Kulusevski in the 2020 January transfer window from fellow Italian side Atalanta, shortly before he joined Parma on a loan deal until the end of the 2019/20 season.

Overall, the 21-year-old winger, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has made 68 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring eight and providing ten assists along the way, showing the attacking capabilities he has in front of goal.

Despite making 21 appearances across all competitions so far this season, Kulusevski has only been in their starting XI on four occasions, showing that the 21-year-old isn’t that much of an important figure for Juventus and suggests that they could be tempted to sell him this month.

This could then pave the way for Villa to sign Kulusevski, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £78k-per-week according to Salary Sport and has been likened to Arjen Robben by Sweden manager Janne Andersson in regards to his ball control and finishing ability.

Described as being a “champion” in terms of his mentality by former Juventus player and manager Andrea Pirlo, Kulusevski could be a dream signing for Gerrard, becoming a player who takes his Villa team to the next level as a young and talented attacking player that has experience of playing at one of Europe’s top clubs and in the Champions League.

With this in mind and the fact that Villa are reportedly keen on letting Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi and Bertrand Traore leave this month, the club should definitely see what they can do in terms of securing Kulusevski’s signature this month. After all, his experience at Juventus could really push Villa towards the top half of the table and potentially even inspire a chase for European football.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops exciting Aston Villa transfer update, Gerrard would be delighted – opinion

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Mariano Diaz to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by El Nacional, who claim that David Moyes’ West Ham transfer team have initiated talks with the Real Madrid centre-forward, with the Spanish media outlet going as far as to suggest that a deal for the 28-year-old is nearly complete.

The report goes on to state that Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the striker, although it is believed that Los Blancos would much rather sell the former Dominican Republic international to a team outside of Spain.

Diaz can finally replace Arnautovic

While it is true that, following Marko Arnautovic’s £22.5m sale back in the summer of 2019, the club replaced the Austria international with the £45m signing of Sebastien Haller the following winter, it is undeniable that the Ivory Coast international failed to live up to his significant price tag in East London – scoring just 14 goals over his 54 appearances in all competitions for West Ham before being sold to Ajax for £20.25m last January.

And, while it is also true that Diaz has not exactly been in blistering form for Real Madrid since his £19.35m move back to the club back in 2018 – featuring in just 36 LaLiga games over the last three-and-a-half years – the 28-year-old nevertheless proved during his one season with Olympique Lyonnais that, when given the opportunity to do so, he can bring extraordinary returns.

Indeed, over his 34 Ligue 1 appearances back in 2017/18, the £6.3m-rated man scored a whopping 18 goals, registered four assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £105k-per-week centre-forward who Gerald Baticle dubbed a “real goalscorer” earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.06 – ranking him as Lyon’s seventh-best performer in the top flight of French football that season.

As such, while goalscoring returns are never 100% guaranteed, should West Ham go on to seal a deal for Diaz this month, and the 28-year-old can go on to replicate his form while in France in East London, the forgotten Real Madrid striker could well finally replace Arnautovic in the Hammers’ first-team squad – something which he undoubtedly has the ability to do.

In other news: Huge boost: Moyes drops fresh injury update that will have West Ham fans buzzing