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Everton have been dealt a blow in the recruitment department, according to the latest reports coming out of Goodison Park.

Toffees in a sticky situation

Waiting on another potential points deduction for breaching financial fair play regulations, this season has been another to forget for Everton.

Though they have provided plenty of impressive defensive performances, they have struggled to find the back of the net and currently sit just above the relegation zone, having already been docked six points for a first breach of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.

The Premier League relegation battle

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal difference

Points

Everton

28

8

7

13

-10

25*

Luton Town

29

5

7

17

-18

22

Nottingham Forest

29

6

7

16

-16

21*

Burnley

29

4

5

20

-34

17

Sheffield United

28

3

5

20

-50

14

It means that the Toffees face another relegation battle, looking to survive late on for the third successive campaign, and they will be hoping that a run of form in the final 10 games might stave off the drop. But off the pitch, things aren't much better for the Toffees.

Everton on verge of losing another young star

Now, Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Toffees have lost the services of academy left back Jayden Lienou, who is set to join Manchester City. The Welshman is only 15 years old, but was considered an immense talent in the Goodison Park academy, and had already represented Wales at youth level on several occasions.

It is the latest blow to the Toffees, who also lost promising academy talent Ishe Samuels-Smith over the summer when Chelsea came knocking, eventually settling on a £4m deal to let the youngster make the move to Stamford Bridge. Isaac Price also left the club for pastures new.

Report shares devastating PSR update on new Everton points deduction

There has been a twist in the saga after the Blues were reportedly “confident” earlier in the week.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 22, 2024

Sean Dyche revealed the extent of the problem at Goodison Park earlier in the season, admitting that academy talent had all but dried up on Merseyside.

"If there was an 18-year-old here who I thought was good enough to play in the first team, he would be playing", he explained. "There is no one I have seen so far who is ready to jump in there. That is it at the moment."

Though Lienou would still be a fair distance off first-team action, his departure continues a worrying trend that will likely see the problem Dyche identified continue, rather than change any time soon.

With financial troubles mounting, turning to youth products has often been used as a way to avoid big signings, and Everton have a proud history of academy talents including Wayne Rooney.

However, there doesn't look to be a repeat of that particular pathway any time soon, and with talent being poached at even younger ages, it may be some time before the Toffees can find another academy gem.

The tall paceman will travel to Melbourne on Wednesday as a replacement for Lockie Ferguson

Andrew McGlashan17-Dec-2019Kyle Jamieson, the uncapped Auckland pace bowler, has been called into New Zealand’s Test squad as a replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson.Jamieson, 24, is tall pace bowler and useful lower-order batsman who played for New Zealand A earlier in the season against England.Although he only has five wickets in three first-class matches this season, his overall record is 72 at 27.93 and his height, with the potential to extract bounce from Australian wickets, has helped earn his call-up.”It’s an exciting opportunity for Kyle who has impressed in the Plunket Shield domestic four-day competition,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We’ve also been really encouraged by his progress in the NZC winter camps and his performances for New Zealand A.”Standing at over two metres tall he obviously gets good bounce and brings something different to our other pace bowlers.”Describing himself as “a bit tall and a bit gangly maybe”, Jamieson said he received the call from selector Gavin Larsen as he was gearing up for a nets session as part of his preparation for Auckland’s game against Canterbury in the T20 Super Smash.”It was a pretty special moment,” he said, adding, “it was pretty hard to concentrate [on his training]” after the call, and that the prospect of making a debut in Australia’s backyard is at once daunting and exciting. “I think it’s a great, challenging stuff, but I think most kids growing up would say that a Boxing Day test against the Aussie’s would be pretty special.”He admitted to “never ever [having] set foot [in Victoria] outside the Melbourne airport,” and that he has not received any indication of playing at the MCG or the SCG for the third Test.”Whether I play or not, basically just to be a sponge and soak up the atmosphere and just the whole trip itself and just learning off some of those world-class guys in that squad,” he said.His height – “a gift from my parents” – is an advantage he is hoping “to make the most of” to get healthy bounce on the Australian tracks. “It’s just about doing your role for the team and I guess whatever that looks like for me, I’m happy to do that,” he said. “So whether that’s bowling full, or it’s bowling wide or it’s whatever it is.”Jamieson will play in the Super Smash match against Canterbury Kings on Tuesday before heading to Melbourne to link up with the squad on Wednesday to prepare for the Boxing Day Test.Ferguson, who made his Test debut in Perth, has been ruled out for up to six weeks after suffering a calf strain on the opening day.”We’re all absolutely gutted for Lockie,” Stead said. “He’d worked really hard to earn his Test debut and to have it cruelly halted by injury was truly unlucky. He’ll return home to begin his recovery with an eye to India’s tour of New Zealand starting in late January.”On Monday, Stead admitted that they would not be able to find a like-for-like replacement for Ferguson’s pace. “I can’t promise you that I can pluck out guys that can bowl 150kph from New Zealand and bring them over here because I’m not sure we necessarily have them that are fit and available. We’ll consider everything we’ve got but there’s still some positives for us that we can go to Melbourne with and work out how to put Australia under pressure.New Zealand head to Melbourne with a number of issues to resolve as they aim to bounce back from the 296-run defeat in Perth. Jeet Raval’s poor form continued with scores of 1 and 1 while Mitchell Santner went wicketless through 41 overs and conceded 3.56 runs per over.They have two days of match practice against a Victoria XI on December 20 and 22 – split over three days with a training day in the middle – before the second Test when those who weren’t part of the XI in Perth will get their chance.That will likely include Trent Boult who is on track to return for Melbourne after it was decided he was too much of a risk to play in Perth as he recovered from his side strain.Tom Blundell, who is the reserve wicketkeeper on the tour but also the spare batsman, would be the player to replace Raval if he was dropped – leading to a potential reshuffle of the batting order – while legspinner Todd Astle could put pressure on Santner.

England’s successes are just the first step in a longer journey, says head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2020Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach, has praised his young squad for finishing a rollercoaster Test winter on a high, but insisted that the gains made during a come-from-behind series win in South Africa are only the first step in a “two-year project” that culminates with the next tour of Australia in 2021-22.Victory in Johannesburg capped a dramatic upsurge in form for England’s Test team, which endured a 1-0 series defeat in New Zealand before Christmas before touching rock-bottom in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, where an illness-ravaged squad were beaten by 107 runs to fall behind in their four-Test series in South Africa.But from that moment on, and as the Benoni sickness bug was gradually shaken out of their systems, Joe Root’s men found their poise with three wins in a row at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and the Wanderers, where Mark Wood excelled with nine wickets in a fast and furious Player-of-the-Match performance.”It’s been quite a journey since we arrived in South Africa,” Silverwood told Sky Sports. “Obviously to go from the build-up to the first Test, and the result of that first Test, to get to where we are now, is really pleasing.”[The illness in the squad] was tough but you can’t use it as an excuse,” he added. “The one thing it did do, was it pulled us together as a unit. We had a good chat in the dressing room after the first Test, and you could see the determination on the guys’ faces. So I wasn’t surprised when they came out and played as well as they did, but I’m obviously very proud of them.”Given that Silverwood had also flown home early from New Zealand due to a family bereavement, he might have been entitled to wonder what he had signed up for, after taking over from Trevor Bayliss at the end of the English season. But, he insisted, the groundwork that England laid on those flat decks in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton was integral to England’s subsequent success.”We started something in New Zealand, and you can see the blueprint that we said we wanted,” he said. “Big first-innings runs, and we were also learning to take 20 wickets with the Kookaburra ball. So to see it come to fruition – to see some of the youngsters come through and put their hands up, and for the older guys to do the same – is obviously really pleasing.”The success of England’s core of new players was the clear stand-out feature of the series. Dom Sibley’s century at Cape Town helped turn the series, while his opening partnership with Zak Crawley went from strength to strength; Ollie Pope and Dom Bess played integral roles in the Port Elizabeth win, while Sam Curran chipped in with key runs and wickets throughout.But Silverwood was particularly pleased with how England’s variety of batting styles helped to ensure regular 400-plus totals.”To get a batting order that has the ability to get big first-innings runs, you need to create a variation in how they are going to play,” he said. “So you can see the one, two, three we’ve got [Sibley, Crawley and Joe Denly] go about things in their way, which is completely different to how Rooty, [Ben] Stokes, Pope and [Jos] Buttler will go about their business.ALSO READ: Wood’s nine-wicket haul seals England’s 3-1 series win”I think there’s a nice mix of skills in there, which allows us to have a top seven to build big totals, and equally we’ve seen how the lower order can then be entertaining as well. You saw Woody and Broady here [with an 82-run stand for the tenth wicket]. If you build the platform, anything can happen.”Wood’s raw pace was England’s big find in the final two Tests. He managed to play back-to-back matches for the first time since 2017, and gave the impression that a new, extended run-up has taken some of the strain out of an action that previously seemed to invite regular injury setbacks.Silverwood, however, said that England would continue to monitor his fitness on a game-by-game basis, to help ensure that he is able to give his best efforts on the field more regularly. He even hinted that Wood and Jofra Archer, currently labouring with an elbow injury, might be used on a rotational basis in future Test outings.”We will make to make decisions based on what’s best for him,” Silverwood said of Wood. “We will look at how he trains as well, making sure he’s not wasting all his best deliveries in the nets. Whatever he does, he does it 100 percent. So can we tailor his training to make sure that his best effort goes out on the pitch for us, and equally when he needs to rest, we’ll know we’ve got a backup with Jofra and others to come in.””It’s a great headache to have for Rooty as captain and me as head coach,” Silverwood added. “In an ideal situation, we’d like to have two or three fast bowlers kicking around but we don’t have to play them every game. In this Test, Woody comes in and makes an impact, but another day, we can give him a day off because we’ve got Jofra coming in now.”With England’s next tour of Australia looming in just under two years’ time, Silverwood earmarked Jamie Overton and Olly Stone as the types of 90mph back-up with which England will be looking to augment their squad, and compete with the established names, such as James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes.”We’ve got these guys to nurture and bring through in a two-year project, for when we get out there [to Australia],” Silverwood said. “But also we’ve got to look after the guys we’ve got.”As we’ve also seen in this series, your Andersons, your Broads, your Woakeses. I wouldn’t want to dismiss them lightly. Chris has trained so hard all trip. He got his opportunity here and showed once again he’s a class act.”Three members of the victorious squad will get an immediate chance to test themselves in Australian conditions, with confirmation from the ECB that Sibley, Crawley and Bess have been retained in the Lions’ four-day party for games in Hobart, Melbourne and Wollongong next month, ahead of England’s Test tour to Sri Lanka in March.

Leeds United responded to the possible setback of a 2-2 draw against Watford with a confidence-boosting 3-1 victory over Hull City on Easter Monday, as a number of reliable first-teamers came in clutch again for the Whites.

Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James would share out the goals late on away from Sam Byram's early effort opening the scoring, the tantalising duo causing the Tigers all sorts of bother in the late exchanges of the clash.

Earning £15k and £50k-per-week respectively for the promotion chasers, the club's joint-highest earner in Patrick Bamford at £70k per week didn't quite justify his excessive salary in contrast as he fired over the bar from close range in the first half.

Bamford has proven his worth for Leeds previously in his career at Elland Road, however, with this former Whites dud burned a far larger hole in the Championship club's back pocket when he was still on the books up until 2022.

Kiko Casilla's time at Leeds

Leeds would flex their connections by going all out to sign former Real Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla in January of 2019, with Marcelo Bielsa significantly bolstering the keeper spots at Elland Road with the deal viewed as a coup.

Casilla would swap Spain for West Yorkshire with a lot of hype attached to his name, not helped by the iconic former Whites boss stating that the shot-stopper was a "complete player" and that his career "speaks for itself" in the direct aftermath of him relocating.

The ex-Madrid man would instantly come into the Whites first-team ranks, going on to make 18 appearances during his debut season and then 36 the campaign after as Leeds gunned for promotion up to the Premier League.

The titling-winning exploits of his second season donning Leeds colours was overshadowed by an FA charge for racist language that came the keeper's way, with the subsequent eight-game ban that followed signalling the beginning of the end for Casilla in West Yorkshire and the start of Illan Meslier's dominance as the now first choice in-between the sticks.

1. GK – Kiko Casilla

2. RB – Luke Ayling

3. CB – Kalvin Phillips

4. CB – Liam Cooper

5. LB – Ezgjan Alioski

6. CM – Adam Forshaw

7. CM – Mateusz Klich

8. RM – Jack Clarke

9. CAM – Pablo Hernandez

10. LM – Jack Harrison

11. ST – Kemar Roofe

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Casilla would end up making just six more appearances after this ban had tainted his Whites stay, with one of those rare chances in the first-team culminating in the Spanish keeper conceding three goals to League Two opposition Crawley Town in the FA Cup.

He would eventually be moved on in 2022 back to his native country with Getafe, having been loaned out initially to fellow La Liga outfit Elche CF to get him off the Whites roster.

There may have been a sense of relief when Casilla was finally offloaded, although the damage had already been done with his excessive £40k per week wage which, at one point, made him a higher earner than ex-Leeds star Kalvin Phillips.

That salary in the Leeds camp at the moment would even see him earn double that of Wilfried Gnonto, on top of bettering Summerville's salary by a hefty £25k.

Kiko Casilla's wage at Leeds

During his first season in West Yorkshire, the 6 foot 3 flop would rake in the highest wage in the squad overall – beating the likes of Bamford, Pablo Hernandez and other key first-teamers to the top spot.

More worryingly, however, even when his game-time became more limited with just three top flight games managed in the 2020-21 season, the former Real man would still earn a substantial salary compared to others fighting it out week in and week out in the Whites first-team.

Bamford at the peak of his powers bagging 17 goals in the top-flight would still earn £5k less per week than the reserve figure, on top of Casilla pocketing £10k more per week than Phillips who excelled in the Leeds side that would finish in a mightily impressive ninth spot in the Premier League.

1. Rodrigo

£100k per week

2. Raphinha

£63.5k per week

3. Kiko Casilla

£40k per week

4. Diego Llorente

£40k per week

5. Robin Koch

£40k per week

Leeds will be thankful that they did not decide to go overboard and dish out a wage similar to that of Rodrigo's excessive £100k per week salary to Casilla, who would go down as another expensive recruit from Spain that never lived up to their billing.

The time could come soon for Farke to address whether or not there are some high earners in the Whites ranks now who are not deserving of their excessive pay packet, with the likes of Stuart Dallas and Liam Cooper out of contract this summer.

Kiko Casilla's time after Leeds

Once lining up in La Liga in the same XI that boasted the world's best such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, and once being Bielsa's first-choice shot-stopper at Elland Road, Casilla now finds himself without a club at 37 years of age.

The towering keeper would go on to make two appearances for Getafe before he was let go at the end of last season, with the ageing ex-Leeds man in danger of seeing his professional career now fizzle out.

There won't be any lingering regret from Leeds' end though about how things ended with their ex-goalkeeper however, as Meslier and the current crop of talent in West Yorkshire aim to win promotion and stay put in the Premier League where everything ultimately unravelled for Casilla.

Overall, Leeds were bled dry by the Bielsa signing, who earned double what Gnonto currently earns, and it will not be looked back on as a super successful addition by the Whites.

Manchester United have announced the signing of Anna Sandberg from BK Hacken.

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Sandberg joins United from BK HackenContracted until 2027 with option for a further yearA full Sweden internationalWHAT HAPPENED?

United formally announced the signing of Sandberg on Friday, with the Sweden international signing a contract until 2027. The Old Trafford club also hold the option to extend the deal by a further year should they wish to.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Defender Sandberg played for Sweden at the 2023 World Cup and was the youngest player in their tournament squad. She has also played in the Champions League in each of the past two seasons, representing KIF Orebro before moving to Hacken in 2022.

WHAT SANDBERG SAID

Sandberg told United's website: “I’m very happy and grateful to sign for this big club, Manchester United.

"I hope I can help our team with my qualities and deliver many winning moments for our fantastic fans.”

Manager Marc Skinner added: “We are delighted to have Anna join our Manchester United family. She is a talented young player, who already has a wealth of international and Champions League experience.

"We look forward to seeing her develop further in red.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

United continue to prepare for the new season, which begins in September with a game against West Ham.

Gamers will be able to manage the likes of Lauren James, Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp in the fight for the Women's Super League title in EA FC 25.

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Women's game added to EA FC Career ModePlayers can compete in top five leaguesWSL & NWSL among the divisions availableWHAT HAPPENED?

Women's Super League and National Women's Soccer League fans will be able to control and manage their favourite players and teams after women's football was added to Career Mode in the upcoming edition of the video game.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The top stars of women's football were added to the Ultimate Team of the video game last year but they have gone a step further this time around by adding expanding their presence in the soon-to-be-released EA FC 25.

DID YOU KNOW?

The top five women's leagues will be available in career mode, possessing all the same challenges as the men's side of the game and with unique challenges that only exist in women's football, EA Sports have said.

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EA SPORTSWHAT NEXT?

The game is currently available for pre-order before it finally gets released on September 27 across all major video game platforms.

West Ham United could well be on the hunt for a new manager this summer as David Moyes' contract continues to tick down, but TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara has been left baffled by one of the names in the mix.

Moyes pressure grows after defeat at Newcastle

The Hammers will consider themselves extremely unlucky after Saturday's trip to Tyneside, coming away with nothing despite scoring three brilliant goals. Moyes was left particularly frustrated by the second penalty incident involving Anthony Gordon, which he felt could have easily been given as a foul for the hapless Kalvin Phillips rather than the other way around.

“I actually think that the boy kicks Phillips if you want to look at it a different way, he puts his foot in front of Kalvin and stops him kicking the ball so I don’t see how that’s really a penalty kick but there you go, it was given," he told TNT Sports.

“Very similar to the first one in some ways, but those decisions didn’t go, they were really tough decisions, close decisions that didn’t fall in our favour. I think at 3-1 if we don't give away the penalty we start to ease the game out, but I think the referee played a huge part in the result today, I really do.”

The Scot is now facing an extremely uncertain future, with club insider ExWHUEmployee confirming last month the club will wait until the end of the season to make a decision on a potential new contract.

There have been plenty of possible replacements doing the rounds in the rumour mill in recent weeks, with Darren Bent tipping Ipswich sensation Kieran McKenna to take over while Julen Lopetegui is said to be "waiting" for the job to become available, but it seems fans are hoping for a bit more of an ambitious statement from the club.

"Strong" coach is now just waiting to replace David Moyes at West Ham

He has his eyes on the hot seat.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 14, 2024 O'Hara reacts to West Ham links with "unbelievable" manager

Another one of the names to have been put forward as a possible successor – and perhaps the most exciting of the lot – is Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave the Bundesliga outfit after a disappointing campaign.

Speaking on TalkSPORT after the defeat to Newcastle on Saturday however, pundit O'Hara ripped into Hammers fans for touting the German as a serious candidate.

Called "unbelievable" by Ben Chilwell during his time at Chelsea, Tuchel has league titles in Germany and France on his résumé, as well as a famous Champions League triumph with Chelsea, and while former Spurs man O'Hara wasted no time shooting down the links, perhaps the 50 year-old could be tempted by a move back to London after his unceremonious exit from Stamford Bridge.

Kasuza had been cleared of concussion via scans on Tuesday, but the doctor has confirmed a delayed onset

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2020Zimbabwe’s debutant opener Kevin Kasuza has suffered a delayed concussion after sustaining a blow to the helmet at short leg on day three of the first Test in Harare. Although Kasuza had been cleared of concussion via scans on Tuesday, Zimbabwe’s team doctor has confirmed that concussion has set in on WednesdayThe hosts have now named a like-for-like concussion substitute under the ICC’s new rules, bringing in 24-year old opener Brian Mudzinganyama into the XI. Mudzinganyama has impressed in recent domestic matches, hitting 127 for Rangers in late December. The substitution means he will now be make a Test debut.Kasuza, who made 63 in the first innings, had not immediately felt the effects of the blow, when a full-blooded Kusal Mendis pull caught him flush on the helmet in the first session of day three. After a few seconds, however, he took his helmet off, and suddenly appeared groggy. He was able to continue standing, partly with the support of his teammates, and after the Zimbabwe team doctor came out to assess him, he left the field before another ball was bowled. Despite being cleared of an immediate concussion by scans, Kasuza did not return to the field of play .The recently introduced concussion substitution protocols dictate that the team’s medical representative – usually the physio – must run standardised tests and submit a report to the match referee. On this occasion, match referee Javagal Srinath has accepted that Kasuza is suffering from concussion. It seems likely that Kasuza will be unavailable for the second Test as well, which starts on Monday.

Sammy to also receive Nishan-e-Pakistan in recognition of his contribution to cricket in the country

Umar Farooq22-Feb-2020Darren Sammy has played a major role in the return of top-flight cricket to Pakistan, and the country has decided to express its gratitude in style, by extending an honorary citizenship to the former West Indies captain. Arif Alvi, the Pakistan president, has signed off on the same, and Sammy will also receive the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the country’s top civilian award, on March 23 in Islamabad.The idea of the honorary citizenship was initiated by Javed Afridi, the owner of Peshawar Zalmi, the team Sammy has represented since the start of the PSL in 2016. The PCB followed up on it with the federal government in light of Sammy’s “invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan”.St Lucian Sammy, 36, has been Zalmi’s premier marquee player from the beginning of the PSL. Ahead of the second edition, Shahid Afridi, who led the team in the first season, stepped down and handed the reins to Sammy, and he has led them since – they won the title in 2017 and were the losing finalists in 2018 and 2019.More than that, though, it’s Sammy’s support to the Pakistan cause that has endeared him to people in the country. He was the first to agree to tour Pakistan when the PCB wanted to bring the PSL final to the country.Then, when an ICC World XI was lined up tour Pakistan for three T20Is in September 2017, Sammy – a part of that squad – spoke to the other tourists as part of a security briefing.At the time, he had said, “I did brief them quickly about my experience in Lahore for the PSL final. We’ve had the best security team, who have also briefed them. Like I said before, it’s important. I get to play in front of my fans in St Lucia and around the world and we see how passionate they are, and to get an opportunity after so long, they are all happy to be part of that process.”First thing I said to guys after the PSL final – apart from all the security and the protocol – once I stepped on the field, it felt like playing in St Lucia. That is my honest experience – the crowd were just hungry for cricket, to see their icons and role models play in the game. That is what it felt like. That is what I briefed the players when the coach [Andy Flower] asked me about my experience.”

Aston Villa are readying an audacious bid for a man wanted by plenty of the Premier League big-hitters, according to reports coming out of Italy, with Sporting Director Monchi hot on the case.

Unai Emery's side making history

Despite having won just one of their previous five Premier League games, Aston Villa and Unai Emery are still on course for a historic season.

Aston Villa agree fee to sign £48k-p/w "future superstar" wanted by Arsenal

Unai Emery has personally pushed for the deal to be done.

ByBen Browning Apr 11, 2024

They sit fifth in the Premier League and are set for Champions League football next season, which will be their first time in the competition since the 1980s. The Villans remain in the hunt for European silverware this season too, with a showdown against LOSC Lille in the UEFA Conference League before a potential semi-final against Olympiacos or Fenerbahce en route to the final of the competition.

But attention is already turning to summer business, and the latest reports suggest Emery's side are set to be ambitious in the market once again as they look to push on to bridge the gap to the Premier League's traditional heavy hitters.

Villa eyeing Zirkzee with Monchi leading the charge

Now, it has emerged from reports in Italy that Villa are the latest side to show an interest in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee, who has enjoyed a fantastic campaign to date in the Italian top flight.

The Dutch attacker has found the net on 10 occasions in Serie A so far this season, as well as grabbing four assists, and has caught the eye of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool among other clubs across Europe as plenty scramble to try and find a striker before the new season.

According to Italian media [Via GIVEMESPORT], Villa have now joined the race for his services and could even have an advantage over their rivals despite the calibre of the other sides in the hunt for his signature.

That is because of Sporting Director Monchi, who knows Serie A intimately from his time in charge at Roma. He is keen to land Zirkzee and has enlisted the help of super-agent Kia Joorabchian, who already represents Villa duo Douglas Luiz and Philippe Coutinho.

Bologna boss Thiago Motta has already revealed just how special the striker could be, discussing his "extraordinary" qualities earlier in the campaign.

“‘It was an excellent goal from a player with extraordinary qualities. He scored a similar goal in training. Joshua is very talented, but I want to emphasize that he also works very hard for it,” Motta stated after Zirkzee scored against Sassuolo in October.

Zirkzee in Serie A 23/24

Appearances

29

Goals

10

Assists

3

Shots on Target (per 90)

1.03

Expected goals

8.5

Any deal would depend on Villa clinching Champions League football for next season, though that seems more of a formality than anything else at present given their advantage over Manchester United in the Premier League.

It would reportedly set Villa back between 60m and 70m euros (£52-£60m), while he would also demand an almost four times increase on his current £900,000 (£18,000 per week) wages.

With Ollie Watkins ploughing an almost lone furrow at the top of the pitch for much of the season, an addition feels necessary for Emery's side ahead of playing in four competitions once again, and the versatile Dutchman could be the perfect solution.