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Mauricio Pochettino is an ‘attractive proposition’ for Aston Villa if Steven Gerrard is sacked as the club’s manager, according to reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Gerrard under pressure

It has been an underwhelming start to the season for Villa, who are in the bottom six in the Premier League and struggling to pick up positive results.

There are reportedly doubts regarding Gerrard’s position in the Midlands, and defeat away to Leeds United on Sunday afternoon could put him under the spotlight even more.

Pochettino has been linked with replacing the 42-year-old if the former Liverpool captain is dismissed, and a new update has emerged in that regard.

The Latest: Preece talks up Pochettino

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Preece admitted that chief executive Christian Purslow and those high up at Villa Park like the idea of the Argentine as the club’s manager. The journalist said:

“This type of calibre of manager would be an attractive proposition for the owners and for Christian Purslow, himself, as well.

“Villa like a big name and they’ve got one at the moment, with Steven Gerrard at the helm.”

The Verdict: Exciting potential Villa boss

Pochettino’s stock may have fallen a little in recent times, following a forgettable spell in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, but there is no denying that he is an exciting manager.

He took Tottenham to the Champions League final in 2019, the club’s first and only appearance at that stage of the competition, and was renowned for playing an exciting brand of football, so he could be the ideal man to potentially replace Gerrard at Villa.

The hope is that the current boss turns things around, having certainly done good things in his time at Villa Park, but the pressure is set to be cranked up by the week until results start arriving more consistently.

One of the more notable transfer missed opportunities at West Ham United in recent times saw the club reportedly miss out on a move for Egyptian starlet Mohamed Salah, with the ruthless forward having since gone on to leave GSB more than ruing that previous failure.

The former Basel man had been snapped up by London rivals Chelsea on an £11m deal back in January 2014, although after scoring just twice in 19 appearances in all competitions at Stamford Bridge, the mercurial wizard was subsequently shipped off to Serie A side Fiorentina on loan after just 12 months in England.

That temporary move to Florence proved particularly fruitful as the 5 foot 9 menace scored nine times and provided four assists in just 26 games in the second half of the 2014/15 season, with such form seemingly catching the eye of the Irons.

The east London outfit – then managed by current Watford boss Slaven Bilic – had reportedly made an ambitious loan offer to sign the dynamic ace from the Blues in the summer of 2015, with the Hammers looking to pair the winger in attack alongside the incoming Dimitri Payet.

Supporters were denied the chance to see what would have been a simply mouthwatering partnership in action, however, as the fleet-footed sensation returned to Italy to join AS Roma on an initial loan deal, before signing permanently a year later for just £16m.

The rest, as they say, is history, with Salah having subsequently gone on to sparkle during his two-year stint at the Stadio Olimpico – providing 56 goal contributions in just 83 games for I Giallorossi – before joining Premier League giants Liverpool on a £34m deal in 2017.

That switch to Anfield has proven a masterstroke for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp – despite the German’s initial reservations – with the 83-cap machine having been a consistently clinical presence in the years since, with three top-flight Golden Boots to his name and 161 goals in just 266 games for the Merseyside outfit.

A simply “unique” asset – as described by Ben Webb – the £350k-per-week marksman has repeatedly terrorised opposition defenders with both his creative flair and relentless speed, proving a constant nightmare for West Ham, in particular, with a remarkable haul of nine goals in just nine games against the London Stadium outfit to date.

Such has been the 30-year-old’s rise since being cast out by his former employers Chelsea, he is now reportedly worth as much as £88m, according to CIES Football Observatory, notably earning praise as “one of the best players in the world” from current boss, Klopp.

To have missed out on such a stunning talent will likely be a huge source of frustration for both GSB and Hammers supporters, having also previously fluffed the chance sign another former Blues man on loan in the form of Romelu Lukaku in 2013…

Nottingham Forest will travel to Molineux on Saturday afternoon for their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and now Steve Cooper has revealed an update on one of his injured player’s condition.

What’s the latest?

The Forest boss took to his pre-match press conference to reveal an update on Moussa Niakhate’s recovery after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory over West Ham United in August.

When asked about the defender’s potential to return to action, Cooper told the media:

“No, he is not close. He is still very much in his rehab. He is nowhere near consideration, really,

“He is very much with the medical team and going through the process with them.”

It’s another worry for Nottingham Forest

The news that Niakhate is nowhere near returning to action is just another worry for Nottingham Forest as they endeavour to improve their current form in the Premier League.

The Tricky Trees haven’t won a game since they beat the Hammers and it has been their only victory tallied up over the season so far and have the second-worst defensive record in the league at the moment whilst occupying a spot in the relegation zone.

In the two appearances that Niakhate was available for the talented centre-back showed glimpses of the defensive qualities he can bring to the team, making nine clearances and winning six duels per game, as well as completing 82% of his passes in his own half.

There is no doubt that Cooper will be searching for solutions to give Forest a better chance of retaining their top-flight status and luckily for the Welsh manager, there are still 29 opportunities to do so.

Wolves have only scored three goals over their first nine league outings and just like the newly-promoted side have only picked up one win over the season so far, as well as losing their last three games on the bounce.

With that being said, it could be a great opportunity for Cooper to capitalise on their opponent’s poor form this weekend and secure all three points following a promising draw against Aston Villa on Monday night.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘definitely in the conversation’ to sign RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol and could beat Premier League rivals Chelsea to his signature, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Gvardiol being monitored

Football Insider reported last week that the Lilywhites are keeping close tabs on the 20-year-old after a long-standing interest that runs back almost two years, but they are set to face competition from the Blues.

Antonio Conte is expected to be offered a new bumper contract that could see him earning up to £20m a year, and it’s believed that this could play a significant role in attracting potential transfer targets.

The Latest: Tottenham backed to win the race

Speaking to Football Insider, former Spurs defender Hutton claimed that Conte committing his future could make Spurs a more attractive project for Gvardiol.

“I don’t see why Tottenham can’t beat Chelsea to him.

“They’re definitely now in the conversation, fighting with the likes of Chelsea, and that attractiveness will only increase with cup runs and European football.

“I think for the player, he’ll be more than happy to be linked with both clubs.

“But with Conte potentially signing a new long-term deal, and the progress that they’re making – it’s something, as a player, that I would want to be involved in.”

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The Verdict: Davies replacement

Tottenham must be extremely keen to land Gvardiol seeing as they haven’t given up the chase since 2020, and he would be an ideal long-term replacement for Ben Davies.

The ‘aggressive’ centre-back, as labelled by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, currently averages an 89.5% Bundesliga pass success rate and can operate at left-back as well as centrally (WhoScored), showing he has the versatility and technical qualities to accompany his forceful style of defending.

The Croatian has a £44m release clause in his contract at Leipzig which is more than affordable for Fabio Paratici, so they should undoubtedly snap him up if given the chance.

West Bromwich Albion’s miserable run of form continued in the Championship today as they fell to yet another defeat, this time against Sheffield United.

New manager Carlos Corberan has been shown first-hand just how much work needs doing now, as his toothless outfit were kept quiet at The Hawthorns.

The Blades raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Oliver McBurnie, with the latter a delightful rifled finish from just outside the box finding the bottom right corner.

Despite boasting more possession and shots than their opponents, Albion struggled to break down a stubborn Sheffield United side who held onto their early lead with relative ease.

Although there was a new manager in the dugout, there were still plenty of West Brom players who just weren’t at the races today. Alex Palmer could be included among that number, having registered the worst rating of anyone from the home side, as per SofaScore.

Conor Townsend and Karlan Grant, who was once again handed a chance up front, were other notable disappointments, but perhaps the player who fell most into that bracket was the usually reliable stalwart Jake Livermore.

Nobody on the pitch had a worse success rate when it came to duels, as he lost 100% of his three personal battles.

Furthermore, only Grant and Jed Wallace had the ball less often. Given his position in the centre of midfield, this statistic is particularly unforgivable for the 32-year-old – even goalkeeper Palmer touched the ball more often (43) than Livermore (35), via SofaScore.

The former Tottenham Hotspur ace has been among the Baggies’ most consistent players in the midfield engine room, considering that he has featured 210 times in total for the club. It makes displays such as this even more disappointing, because of how much they have relied on him throughout the years.

Despite being in the busiest area of the pitch, Livermore also failed to make a single tackle, clearance or interception, whilst also being dribbled past once. It was a defensively invisible performance from the usually combative midfield stopper.

“Not enough energy throughout and was largely outplayed by the Blades midfielders”, wrote Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden in his post-match ratings column – a damning but fair assessment of Livermore’s performance.

He’ll need to buck up his ideas quickly now that Corberan is here to stay, with the manager unlikely to accept many more performances like this from such an experienced player.

Javier Manquillo could reportedly leave Newcastle United without kicking a ball so far this season.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

Manquillo has found himself completely out of favour this campaign, not making a single appearance and being limited to the bench, sometimes not even making the squad altogether (Transfermarkt).

Eddie Howe already has both Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth as options in the right-back position, and so Manquillo could be deemed surplus to requirements at St. James’ Park.

The Latest: Cadiz interest

As per Spanish news outlet Estadio Deportivo, La Liga side Cadiz are interested in signing Manquillo, who wants more regular game time.

However, he still has a contract in the North East until 2024, and his £35,000-per-week wages could prove to be a stumbling block.

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The Verdict: Get rid

Given Manquillo’s lack of playing time, and the opportunity to get his wages off of their books, the Tynesiders should seriously be considering getting rid.

They are already well-covered at right-back, and with the Spaniard’s frustrations over not getting minutes, it is best for both parties to part ways.

At 28 years of age, and with two years still left on his deal, the Magpies could still demand a reasonable transfer fee for him as well, so now may be the best opportunity to sell him, with the January window lurking around the corner.

Celtic face an incredibly tough test tonight with Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops coming up against one of the best sides on the globe.

Indeed, the Bhoys travel to Spain to play 14-time winners of the Champions League, Real Madrid, in what is now a dead-rubber tie.

Celtic are out of the competition and have nothing but pride at stake in their sternest challenge of the campaign to date.

Without anything on the line, it will be interesting to see what happens with Postecoglou’s starting XI. Will he favour a degree of rotation or will he still opt for a full-strength team?

Here is the starting XI that Football FanCast are predicting for tonight’s encounter…

Hart, Juranovic, Starfelt, Jenz, Taylor, O’Riley, Mooy, Hatate, Abada, Kyogo, Jota (4-3-3).

We are anticipating four changes from the team that defeated Livingston last weekend with the Australian coach favouring change in defence and attack.

The midfield will remain the same but Postecoglou has been dealt a blow to his backline with Cameron Carter-Vickers not travelling to Madrid. Carl Starfelt, who has had a two-month layoff due to a knee injury, is among the squad and could replace the American at centre-back.

Anthony Ralston, whose performances over the last year have seen him dubbed a “superman”, drops out in favour of Croatian full-back Josip Juranovic who has started every Champions League match this term.

In attack, James Forrest is given a rest with pace and energy set to be favoured. Celtic will need to be good on the break if they are to get anything from the game so the “unbelievable” Jota – in the words of his manager – comes back into the team after scoring against Livingston.

Liel Abada also replaces Sead Haksabanovic who had a rather quiet outing at the Tony Macaroni Arena last time out.

David Turnbull could come into the starting XI as well but we anticipate that the boss will opt for the more defensive Aaron Mooy who will start next to Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.

Manchester United look to be edging towards the signing of PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo, with journalist Rudy Galetti saying talks are ‘progressing quickly’.

The Lowdown: Gakpo a long-time United target

The Dutchman is enjoying a sensational season for PSV, registering 11 assists and scoring nine goals in just 12 Eredivisie appearances.

Gakpo has continually been linked with a move to United, as Erik ten Hag looks for some top-quality additions, but they missed out on signing him in the summer. A January move could still be on the cards, however, especially after a fresh update.

The Latest: Exciting update emerges

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Galetti claimed that talks are moving quickly regarding Gakpo’s possible move to United:

“Talks between PSV and ManchesterUnited for Coady Gakpo are progressing quickly and positively. The feeling is that an agreement for the left-winger – highly requested by Ten Hag – could be reached already in the coming weeks.”

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The Verdict: What a signing he would be

Gakpo is exactly the type of player who could give United’s attack an extra injection of magic and end product, in what could be a hugely exciting signing. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed his ‘absolutely crazy numbers’ this season, with the winger delivering at such a relentless rate.

New additions could be needed in that area, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial not long-term solutions and doubts arguably remaining over the consistency of individuals such as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga.

At just 23 years of age, Gakpo already has 104 goal contributions (55 goals and 49 assists) in just 157 appearances for PSV, while three goals in nine caps for the Netherlands proves that he can do it at international level, too. The World Cup later this month could be a great chance for United fans to see his quality close up, too.

Everton could finally be set to ditch one of their biggest disappointments of the Farhad Moshiri era…

What’s the latest?

As per Football Insider, West Ham United are reportedly showing an interest in taking Michael Keane off their hands for a fee of around £10m.

It marks the second time in as many windows that the Hammers will come in for the English defender, with David Moyes reportedly a huge fan of his.

With three years left on his massive £80k-per-week deal, it would mark a sensational piece of business to ship off someone who was brought in to spell the start of a prosperous era at Goodison Park but is now a reminder of its utter failure.

He has been awful

Signed for a comprehensive fee of £30m back in the summer of 2017, the former Burnley defender marked one of many pieces of Ronald Koeman’s unsuccessful overhaul.

Coming off the back of a seventh-place finish, it was thought that the Dutchman would be the man to oversee the revolution that Moshiri and Evertonians were dreaming of, with this defensive stalwart seemingly of paramount importance to their success.

However, it quickly became clear that Keane suffered when confidence was low, and ever since his debut season on Merseyside, there have been few years to celebrate.

Having featured 189 times for the Toffees, one could be fooled into thinking that this signing was at least mildly successful.

But it was last season that truly outlined him as a failure, as he made 32 Premier League appearances throughout a campaign where they narrowly avoided the drop.

They would concede 66 goals that season, with journalist Ryan Taylor outlining one particularly “pathetic” display from the 29-year-old where he had exhibited “sheer laziness” and a “total lack of commitment”.

The defender still remains in the club’s top ten most expensive arrivals of all time, and given his performances across his stay at Everton, it further outlines just how awful he has been.

To see a club like the Irons willing to spend anything to secure his services must be a welcome surprise for Frank Lampard, who must take this opportunity to finally ditch Keane once and for all.

Sky Sports journalist Andrew Dickson has just dropped an update regarding the vacant Glasgow Rangers managerial position.

What’s the news?

Following the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst this morning, Dickson tweeted: “The question now for Rangers is who replaces GvB.

“Hasenhuttl is an obvious option to ponder given his past relationship with Wilson, who notably wasn’t quoted in the club statement when he very often is.

“Dyche would appear to be keen on the position given his recent comments.”

Sean Dyche has previously worked with Ross Wilson before and recently admitted that he would be open to taking a job outside of the Premier League, proving a move to Ibrox might be on the cards.

Dyche would be a mistake

The Englishman was sacked by Burnley following a nine-year spell in charge of the side, and the 51-year-old did well, keeping them in the top flight for five successive seasons after winning promotion from the Championship in 2015/2016.

His highest finish with the club was seventh in 2017/2018, leading the side to just one more top-half finish during his spell in charge and he has only achieved over two points per match in two seasons during his managerial career, both coming in the second tier.

Although Van Bronckhorst’s style wasn’t easy on the eye, with the club often labouring for victories, Dyche’s isn’t much better. His direct style might work wonders in the Championship and for maintaining a Premier League place, but in order to overcome defences in Scotland, a much more attacking penchant is required.

Indeed, during his time at Burnley, his team scored over 50 league goals in just two seasons, again both in the second tier, proving that his style isn’t as effective when his team hit the elite of the Premier League.

Change is urgently required at Ibrox, with the title race pretty much over with, Wilson must take a gamble like Celtic did with Ange Postecoglou and reap the rewards.

Appointing Dyche, despite his fairly productive spell at Burnley, would be a huge mistake, as someone who has a winner’s mentality must be the main priority.