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West Ham are thought to be an option for Aston Villa loan ace Ross Barkley next season, according to The Telegraph, cited by Birmingham Live.

The 27-year-old looks set to return to Chelsea at the end of the current campaign, and, as to be expected, numerous Aston Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the transfer update on social media.

According to the report, as things stand, the attacking midfielder looks set to return to the Blues, however, Chelsea, under Thomas Tuchel, are expected to sell the England international in the summer.

Tuchel has turned their season around with the exception of the shock defeat against West Brom, and he seemingly has no room in his squad for Barkley, who hasn’t started any of Villa’s last seven Premier League games and appears to have fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park too.

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared the report on social media on Tuesday evening, informing fans that Barkley looks set to return to Chelsea in the summer.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘great’.

“There is a god”

Credit: @villa_vernon

“One way ticket back to London !! I’ll pay his fair !! Let’s buy @tammyabraham, a player that looked bothered and made an effort when he put the jersey on !!!”

Credit: @MarkPau86473828

“Great news”

Credit: @derekhi45270958

“He can go back happily”

Credit: @nathanhailing

“I’ll drive him back if he needs a lift”

Credit: @KingEightyOne

“No surprise….”

Credit: @TheVillaYamYam

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to club’s financial report, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals during his career for Wolves, has claimed that Rafa Mir could replace Raul Jimenez as the main striker after one more spell out on loan.

Mir has been enjoying his time out in Spain with SD Huesca where he has managed to score 24 goals in 49 games, which includes 12 this campaign – and 15 in all competitions – as they look to fight off relegation from La Liga.

Despite playing in a team that is occupying the final relegation spot, Mir’s goals have given Huesca a chance of survival with the 22-year old having netted more times than both Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix.

Speaking on Mir’s future at Wolves and how another loan spell away from Molineux could benefit the striker, Bull told FFC:

“He could turn into a great striker so Wolves could send him back out on loan again for another six to eight months where he can get more game time and goals under his belt. Therefore, when he comes back he can replace Jimenez.”

Wolves have struggled for goals this season with Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto topping the goal-scoring charts with five in the Premier League this season.

Nuno Espirito Santo will be hoping for better performances next season when Raul Jimenez is back and firing for Wolves.

Writing on Twitter, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold believes Juan Foyth possibly joining Villarreal on a permanent deal this summer could be a transfer which ‘comes back to bite Spurs’ – with the La Liga side possessing an option to sign him for around £13 million on top of the loan fee. 

Foyth has impressed under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery on the continent recently after a slow start to life in Spain, often displaying his versatility as a right-back, centre-back or defensive midfielder (football.london).

Gold fires Foyth warning to Spurs

So far, the 23-year-old has made 27 appearances for Villarreal in all competitions and 14 in La Liga – with Gold relaying that Spurs could be set to lose a young player ‘on the up’ this summer (football.london).

Sending a warning, Gold believes Foyth and his spell at the Estadio de la Cerámica should be a lesson for the Lilywhites over loaning out promising youngsters at the right time (Twitter).

Given the option-to-buy inserted into the starlet’s loan agreement at Villarreal, Gold explains that Spurs now look unlikely to benefit from his recent rise to prominence and experience gained.

Instead, Spurs may just receive a relatively low transfer fee for a highly promising youngster.

Transfer Tavern take

According to WhoScored, the Argentine has made an impressive 2.6 tackles per 90 in those 14 league outings whilst managing to find a teammate with 87.4% of his passes.

Last year, the Athletic journalist Charlie Eccleshare heralded Foyth as a ‘really exciting’ player – and Tottenham possibly losing him this summer for just £13m comes as an possible hiccup by chairman Daniel Levy, who will be looking to raise big cash through sales to spend on any incoming players.

Emery, speaking to AS recently, even admitted he would like to keep the starlet – and it seems like only a matter of time before they make his move permanent judging by his accolades this season.

In other news: Tottenham make enquiry for £225,000-per-week star, find out more here.

The ability to be versatile and change position is becoming more of a regular commodity in football and that can certainly be applied to Celtic.

Just look at Hoops midfielder David Turnbull. The 21-year-old can play on the wing or through the middle as a playmaker.

Assess Ryan Christie too, another player to feature in central and wide positions. That being said, not many can play in defence and as a striker.

That’s the intriguing dynamic that sets a certain Adam Montgomery apart from the rest.

Once a centre-forward, the 18-year-old has transitioned into becoming a left-back courtesy of work at Lennoxtown with Darren O’Dea.

He has gone from being a self-professed “tricky” winger to someone who now has to withstand the relentless attacks of players who possess similar qualities.

Montgomery has had to learn a completely new trade but it’s clearly been game-changing in terms of his development.

With Odsonne Edouard the leading light in Celtic’s side, very rarely does he get usurped as their main striker. Behind him this season he has had Leigh Griffiths, Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala all scrambling for game time.

With that in mind, a first-team breakthrough for players like Cameron Harper and Armstrong Oko-Flex seemed farfetched. Harper has already left while the latter nearly joined Huddersfield in January, events that summed up what they thought about their prospects in Glasgow.

Montgomery, however, has been patient and willing to adapt. Now a defender, he appeared in a matchday squad at senior level for the first time when Celtic beat Aberdeen in February.

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The teenager has never played a minute for the first-team but he has now appeared among the substitutes on three occasions.

Considering his position change, he clearly has a lot of work to do before he makes it in men’s football. That being said, with the guidance and influence Montgomery has at his disposal, he’s set for a bright future.

There is a lot to like about the youngster, a player who judging by his attacking qualities, could be the club’s new Kieran Tierney.

The Scotland international departed for £25m in the summer of 2019 and Celtic will be regularly scanning their academy to find a suitable replacement.

In Montgomery, they have a very capable one. He is not first-team ready yet but he could be next season.

Speaking to the club’s official media channels, he revealed that Tierney has been a vision for where he wants to be: “100 percent. Him being here from a young age, breaking into the team as a full-back and now you look at him doing so well at Arsenal, he’s a player that I’ve really looked up to since I made that move to full-back myself.”

Having also sought council from Greg Taylor, Montgomery is doing all the right things to develop his game and become one of your typical modern-day full-backs. Advice from John Kennedy should also help too.

He was a major figure for Tierney when he first came through the ranks at Paradise.

Combine those elements with Diego Laxalt’s horror show against Rangers on Sunday and bringing through another left-back is certainly a good idea.

Montgomery is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on in the coming months.

AND in other news, Celtic manager hunt could move rapidly today after major behind-the-scenes development…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood, who played 15 times for Newcastle United, has claimed he can’t understand why Mike Ashley sacked Chris Hughton despite just guiding the club back to the Premier League.

Harewood played under Hughton at Newcastle when the Magpies stormed to the Championship title during the 2009/10 season, which saw them end up with 102 points.

Hughton, who is now Nottingham Forest’s manager, was sacked by Mike Ashley during their first season back in the Premier League and was replaced by Alan Pardew, who ended up guiding Newcastle to a fifth-placed finish in 2012.

Speaking on why Hughton may have got sacked at Newcastle United and how the news was a shock to him at the time, Harewood told FFC:

“Things just don’t work out sometimes in football. Maybe there were disagreements behind the scenes but we don’t know what happened.

“For me when I was there, he was amazing so I was a bit taken back that he did get sacked because I didn’t understand why.”

Harewood only spent three months on loan at Newcastle in 2009 from Aston Villa, the team who beat the Magpies on the final day of the previous season to confirm their relegation.

Newcastle United were embroiled in a relegation battle just a few weeks ago, but they have a comfortable cushion above the relegation spots now.

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has provided an update on Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe on social media.

The Hoops have been linked with the former Bournemouth boss for what seems like forever now, and despite Howe reportedly verbally agreeing on becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor at the beginning of April, a deal is yet to be announced.

Reports previously suggested the 43-year-old was having second thoughts, however, recent stories have now claimed he is finalising his backroom staff ahead of a Parkhead switch.

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked if he had any more information on the situation on Friday evening.

He reiterated that some of Howe’s wanted coaching staff will be busy at Bournemouth, before ending with a telling five-word claim – ‘Celtic seem prepared for that’.

“Said last Sunday that his coaching staff will be busy at Bournemouth for a few weeks yet… it could be a wait… but Celtic seem prepared for that.”

Transfer Tavern take

Nixon’s comment here seems to be the clearest indicator yet that the Howe deal should eventually happen, with the Hoops ‘prepared’ to bide their time to get a deal over the line.

To us, that could be a risk. It seems as if Howe wants a few coaching members from the Cherries, however, should they earn promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs, it could be harder to get them out of their respective deals.

Should that be the case and a deal for Howe break down, that may leave the Hoops in a worrying position ahead of the 2021/22 season.

There have been plenty of rumours that Odsonne Edouard and Kris Ajer could depart Glasgow this summer, perhaps even Ryan Christie too, via The Daily Record. If those moves happen without a new manager in place, the club could find themselves scrambling around for a replacements who may not even fit the new boss’ desires.

In other news: Manager of European giants talks to Celtic star about summer move, find out more here. 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey has claimed that Steve Bruce has a great relationship with his players and has their trust.

Bruce has handled the pressure at Newcastle well in recent weeks as, since the international break, they have not lost a game, a run that has included draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively.

The former Sunderland manager has only made one change to his starting lineup in the last four games, which was to bring Allan Saint-Maximin in for Dwight Gayle after his cameo appearances against both Spurs and Burnley.

Speaking on how Bruce has established such a good relationship with his squad and why that is so important to have as a manager, Howey told FFC exclusively:

“It seems as though Steve has got a relationship with players where he can talk to them and he can say to them, if you want to play, then I’ll start you, but you have to be honest because you don’t want players going out their half-hearted.

“I think that’s what he has to do with Saint-Maximin and also with someone like Callum Wilson.”

Bruce has been thankful to be able to welcome some of his best players back in recent weeks, such as Callum Wilson, Saint-Maximin and Federico Fernandez, and their returns have coincided with the Magpies’ current unbeaten run.

Newcastle moved away from their split striker system, which was something Graeme Jones favoured, and reverted to a back three and that has provided them with a solid foundation to build upon.

After a major announcement on Tuesday afternoon, with AS Roma officially appointing ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho for the 2021/2022 season, journalist Dan Kilpatrick has reacted on social media whilst claiming it is ‘potentially good news for Spurs’ (Twitter).

Journalist reacts as ‘potentially good news for Spurs’ emerges

Mourinho, who was sacked by the Lilywhites last month after nearly a year and a half in the job, was then placed on gardening leave and the club could have been forced to keep on paying his reported £10.5 million-per-year salary for up to 18 months (football.london).

However, in an announcement which could greatly benefit Tottenham financially, AS Roma have announced that they have hired Mourinho for the 2021/2022 campaign – with the Portuguese’ time on gardening leave now set to be short.

Journalist Kilpatrick, of the Evening Standard, was stunned by the promptness of the appointment and also believes this comes as a boost for Spurs – writing an emphatic message on Twitter in reaction to the major news.

“Wow – Jose wasting no time getting back in work,” he explained.

“And potentially good news for Spurs in terms of a payoff.”

Transfer Tavern take

In uncertain times, chairman Daniel Levy and the club will be grateful for any financial break given the toll caused by coronavirus over this past year.

Spurs announced an ‘irrecoverable’ £63.9 million loss late last year (Evening Standard) and still haven’t found a lucrative deal for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights – with chief commercial officer Todd Kline understood to be working behind the scenes (football.london).

Tottenham will apparently only have to keep paying Mourinho’s full salary until he starts the job at Roma this summer, and it certainly comes as a boost given his wages would have been a considerable drain on the club’s kitty until next summer.

In other news: Tottenham enter race for this electric defender, find out more here.

Leeds must avoid making an unforgivable mistake amid reported transfer interest in Patrick Bamford.

What’s the story?

The striker has been a revelation for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Premier League this season, netting 15 goals and providing another eight assists in the division.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that, while Leeds extended Bamford’s contract at Elland Road by an extra year – his deal now expires in the summer of 2023 – he is already attracting admiring glances from elsewhere.

Ornstein claims that “Bamford’s progress has not gone unnoticed, with several clubs, including Liverpool, believed to admire the forward.”

Bielsa would be fuming

Given his incredible importance to this Leeds side – he tops the charts for both goals and assists at Elland Road this season – there’s no questioning that Bielsa would be absolutely fuming if Andrea Radrizzani and co decided to make the call of cashing in on him.

While his stock is high, and the Whites would be expected to command a hefty fee for him – especially with the contract extension update – Bamford has developed into the kind of all-round striker that Bielsa loves.

Even Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: “What a player, Bamford! I can remember people saying, ‘Leeds need a proper goalscorer, Bamford is not good enough’, stuff like this. I’m so happy that he could prove them all wrong.

“He’s an exceptional player. The work rate is outstanding and he still plays the football he plays and scores goals. That’s rare.”

As omeone who works selflessly for the cause and buys into the pressing game, can both plunder goals and set up his teammates, the 27-year-old would be very difficult to replace if Leeds made the decision to sell him to Liverpool or anyone else.

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It’s exactly why Radrizzani must avoid making an unforgivable howler this summer by keeping Bamford regardless of the potential windfall from selling him.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could light up Elland Road with this £26m-rated magician who’s “something special”…

Newcastle United have confirmed a major injury setback to one of their players ahead of their Premier League clash against Sheffield United with Ryan Fraser now confirmed to miss the remainder of the season and him now being a doubt to be fully fit for the European Championships.

The Scotland international of course arrived from Bournemouth last summer, but has endured an injury-hit campaign that has seen him play just 18 times in the Premier League for his new side.

The winger has been out of action for Newcastle since the end of March when he last played for Scotland in a 4-0 win over the Faroe Islands, and after confirming his absence for the game against the Blades, also responded to reports Fraser will still be named in the Tartan Army’s squad for the EUROs this summer.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Blades tonight, the Magpies boss said: “As for Ryan, it has been a difficult time for him. He does desperately need a pre-season. Pre-season will be huge for him.

“Whether he is going to be picked in the Scotland squad, I think that would be a gamble as he has not played the last six or seven weeks. He has had no real football football or trained (in that time). Pre-season will be key for him. He didn’t have a pre-season the year before and last season’s was a non-entity really.”
With no goals whatsoever in the Premier League, Fraser hasn’t really been able to show Newcastle why they signed him last summer, and why he was such hot property after the 2018/2019 campaign in particular for Bournemouth – he bagged seven goals and provided a whopping 14 assists in the top-flight alone as he and now Magpies striker Callum Wilson struck up a superb partnership.
The hope will be that Fraser is able to recover from his injury and use the summer to get back to full fitness ahead of the new campaign, but his involvement for Scotland, when he hasn’t been able to play a single minute since March, is certainly eye-brow raising, especially for Bruce and Newcastle.
It’s the age-old club vs country debate, and it appears that Bruce will be losing this battle for now.
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The Magpies boss will also be just as gutted that Fraser won’t get to return before the end of the season for the Magpies and at least show fans inside the ground a taster of what he can actually bring to the table when fully fit.
Meanwhile, Steve Bruce is eyeing this 6 foot 5 titan…