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Dean Windass has offered some advice to Aston Villa, regarding their reported interest in West Brom’s Matheus Pereira.

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League midfielder Dean Windass has claimed that Dean Smith will not want West Brom attacker Matheus Pereira at Aston Villa this summer. Villa are reportedly looking at Pereira as a potential signing and Windass does not believe that he has the work rate Smith requires from his players in the Premier League. He told Football Transfer Tavern:

“I can’t see that because he’s not a Dean Smith sort of player, compared to Jack Grealish who always tracks back and Pereira doesn’t do any of that.

“When you play in the Premier League, you can’t carry anybody so I don’t think that will happen.”

Earlier this year, Kevin Campbell said that Pereira had been “disappointing” for West Brom in the Premier League. He told Football Insider:

“I think the football club expected Pereira to have a hell of a season because he took the Championship by storm. They thought they had a match-winner in him because he can score and create goals.

“Let’s be honest though, he has been pretty disappointing. You need your better players to step up, especially at the top end of the pitch and we haven’t seen him do that.”

Smith would hate it

NSWE must avoid making an error by opting against a deal for Pereira this summer. Looking at his statistics from an attacking sense, it is clear to see why clubs would be interested in him. Pereira recorded 11 goals and six assists in a West Brom team struggling at the bottom of the table, which suggests that he has the ability on the ball to perform at Premier League level.

However, there are two sides to the game and Pereira’s defensive numbers are disappointing. As Windass explained, Pereira does not engage in the defensive side of his responsibilities and that is something Smith will not allow his players to avoid next season.

Pereira averaged 0.8 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game, whilst also allowing opponents to dribble past him 1.3 times per game. This highlights the £39k-per-week midfielder’s lack of effort against the ball, as he did not want to work hard to help his team out.

Recent Villa signing Emi Buendia, on the other hand, has the attributes Smith will want from his forwards. In Norwich’s 2019/20 Premier League campaign, Buendia averaged 2.3 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game for the Canaries, which increased to 2.4 and 1.1 respectively in the Championship season just gone.

Jack Grealish, meanwhile, managed 1.2 tackles per game last season and was only dribbled past an impressive 0.3 times per game.

This shows why Pereira would not fit in at Aston Villa and why NSWE must avoid bringing him to the club this summer. He does not have the defensive awareness to effectively operate in Smith’s side, which is also why the Villa boss would hate having him on the wing. it would open up his fullbacks to increased pressure due to a lack of protection in front of them.

AND in other news, NSWE could land Aston Villa’s next Paul Merson in “extraordinary” £20k-p/w dynamo…

Kalvin Phillips has been included in Gareth Southgate’s 33-man provisional squad ahead of the Euros and former Leeds United midfielder, David Norris, believes that the 25-year old’s future could be away from Elland Road.

Phillips is an academy graduate at Leeds, something which makes playing for the club just that little bit more special given his already close ties with them, and if reports are to be believed influential figure Marcelo Bielsa is set to stay at Elland Road next season.

The midfielder has been in every England squad this season and despite a shoulder injury which was initially feared to be serious, Phillips looks set for a spot on the plane and his importance and influence has been more evident when not on the pitch as Leeds have failed to win seven out of the nine games that he has missed.

Since Bielsa was appointed as manager at Elland Road in 2018, Phillips has made 117 appearances for Leeds such is Bielsa’s trust in the midfielder, and the manager’s future could have an impact on what Phillips decides to do this summer according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“He loves Kalvin and talks well of him. Phillips is obviously a big part of his thought process in terms of team selection. So, if Bielsa goes, then Kalvin, might think that now is the time to move on.

“So, that could change it if Bielsa goes, but ultimately, I think both of them will end up staying.”

Despite a lot of silence from both Bielsa and Leeds, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel as the Argentine is set to sign a new contract which will keep him at the club heading into next season.

Leeds finished in the top half of the Premier League and will be looking to kick on next season and attempt to disrupt the top six spots and try to bring back European nights at Elland Road.

A number of West Brom supporters have been hailing Sam Johnstone following an exceptional save on England duty over the weekend.

The Baggies may have been relegated back to the Championship last season, but the 28-year-old was one of the few positives to take from the campaign. He was arguably one of the Premier League’s standout players in his position, producing great consistency between the sticks.

Johnstone’s form has been rewarded with a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad and he started Sunday’s 1-0 win over Romania, making his debut for the Three Lions in the process.

Not only did the 28-year-old keep a clean sheet, he also made a magnificent save in the second half, ensuring England got the win at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

West Brom fan laud Johnstone brilliance

West Brom gave a shoutout to the goalkeeper’s moment of brilliance on their official Twitter account, excitedly posting “WHAT. A. SAVE.” followed by the heart-eyes emoji.

These Baggies fans replied to the tweet to heap praise on Johnstone, having produced a memorable moment on a proud day for him.

“Sam Johnstone doing @samjohnstone50 things”

Credit: @le_lebouf76

“England’s future number 1”

Credit: @Jevo_01

“MY KEEPER”

Credit: @JoshhhWBA

“Class”

Credit: @liamwba_

“Lifetime contract 100k a week”

Credit: @WBADyl

“Done himself proud”

Credit: @hovis8

In other news, West Brom are believed to be keen on signing a player who is appearing at Euro 2020 this summer. Find out who it is here.

Former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer expects Ralph Hasenhuttl to be at the club next season but he has told Football FanCast that he could still face the sack if results go sour next term.

Saints are safe this season although they have endured something of an underwhelming campaign at times.

They are currently 14th in the Premier League table but they were beaten 9-0 by Manchester United earlier this season, a result that came in a run of just three wins in 15 games.

Hasenhuttl had actually overseen a promising start to the campaign, as they went seven games unbeaten at the start of the season, but an alarming drop-off has seen his stock somewhat fall. His contract expires in three years, and he has vowed to see that out.

Palmer does not expect him to leave Southampton this summer, either for another job or as a result of a firing, but he has reminded the Austrian that football is a results-based business and nothing more after his contract comments.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Palmer, who played for the club between 1997 and 1999, said: “Well, you can’t say any manager can last three seasons at a football club. It’s a results-based industry. As simple as it is.

“I mean, if he doesn’t get results over there… I think he’ll be in charge of Southampton next season. I think expectations got high at Southampton because of where they were so early on in the season.

“So you’ve got to be realistic about where you see Southampton. Where do you see them in the league? Where do you see him taking them? I see him being in charge next season but beyond that, you can’t say because it will be based on results.”

According to The Telegraph, Daniel Levy could soon make a move for Zinedine Zidane as he continues the search for Tottenham’s new permanent manager.

The Lowdown: The search goes on

Jose Mourinho was sacked as Spurs boss over a month ago, but the north London outfit still remain without a permanent first-team manager.

In recent days, Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a return to the club (The Guardian), while Antonio Conte has also popped up on Spurs’ radar after leaving Internazionale. Now, though, Levy may have another name up his sleeve.

The Latest: Spurs could move for Zidane

Zidane also recently left his post, departing Real Madrid following the end of the 2020/21 La Liga campaign.

As such, he could now emerge as a target for Spurs as they look to fill their vacancy as soon as possible, report The Telegraph.

The Verdict: Reaching for the stars

There are few, if any managers in European football who can match Zidane’s record. He has won the Champions League three times as a manager, adding to the one he picked up as a player, while he also led Madrid to the La Liga title on two separate occasions. Already a legendary footballer, he can also be classed the same as a boss.

Zidane’s salary was said to be €12m a year (£10.3m) at Real Madrid (wionews.com), which works at around £198,000 a week. It is unclear what sort of wages the Frenchman would be looking for, but anything in line with his previous pay packet would be a considerable sum for Tottenham. Still, to get quality, you must be prepared to pay top-level prices.

In other news, Tottenham plan to sell this man this summer.

St. Johnstone manager Callum Davidson has admitted he is eager to speak to Glasgow Rangers about keeping Glenn Middleton for next season.

Davidson wants Middleton

After making just one appearance for the Gers in the first half of the campaign (Transfermarkt), Middleton moved to fellow Premiership side St. Johnstone in search of more playing time.

Davidson is clearly happy with his performances so far, and has suggested he wants to talk to the Ibrox outfit about keeping him at the club. He said, (via The Scottish Sun):

“Glenn has had to be patient but he’s come off the bench against Ross County and scored the goal that got us into the top six. That’s some achievement.

“He’s worked really hard from the day he arrived and the more I  get him involved, the better he’ll be.

“If he does unbelievably well for me in the next five or six games I probably won’t get the chance to keep him!

“He’s great about the place, he wants to learn and has a really positive attitude.

“So we’ll be looking to have a conversation with Rangers about next season.

“I think Glenn is at the stage in his career where he now needs sustained game time.”

Right move

Middleton has so far made seven appearances for the Saints, scoring one goal. Given his lack of playing time at Ibrox, it is important that he is now featuring on a regular basis. Of course, he is still a Rangers player, but it feels unlikely at the moment that he will play too often for the Gers next season, even though he does have a record of five goals in 29 matches for the 55-time Scottish champions – he has six goals throughout his career.

As Davidson says, at 21 it is important he finds somewhere to settle so that he can kickstart his career. Despite his talent, it looks like that club will not be Rangers. St. Johnstone, therefore, could be the perfect place for him to begin to fulfill his potential.

In other news, Kevin Phillips believes this man must take a pay-cut if he wants to stay at Rangers.

Nottingham Forest are preparing a summer bid for Gillingham central midfielder Kyle Dempsey, according to reports.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claimed that a recruitment source has revealed Chris Hughton’s side have reignited their January interest in the 25-year-old in an attempt to bring him to the City Ground this summer.

It is also reported that Gillingham would be looking for a fee between £500,000 and £750,000 in order to part with the midfielder, and when the news of Forest’s interest was relayed on Twitter, many fans of the club seemed delighted by the prospect of the 25-year-old’s signing.

Astute signing

So far this season, Dempsey has been in remarkable form over his 38 League One appearances for Steve Evans’ side, scoring eight goals and providing four assists for the Gills. He has also averaged 1.2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.2 key passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 7.00 – ranking him as the club’s joint sixth-best performer in the third tier.

This attacking influence from the middle of the park is something which has sorely been lacking at Forest this season, with James Garner, Ryan Yates, Samba Sow and Filip Krovinovic managing just six goals and four assists between them in the Championship.

Furthermore, with Forest paying the likes of Garner around £17,000 per week, Sow £18,000 per week, and Krovinovic £14,000 per week, it would appear as if the modest £3,000 weekly wage of Dempsey would be well worth the cost for Chris Hughton and his side, even when taking into account the reported asking price for the player who Gillingham assistant manager Paul Raynor dubbed a “winner”.

Raynor also claimed that Dempsey’s creativity was something that he believed the Gills had lacked prior to his arrival from Fleetwood Town back in August of last year – something which could easily be applied to Nottingham Forest at present.

As such, Hughton should do all he can to get a deal over the line for the 25-year-old midfielder this summer, as Dempsey has a proven track record of providing the creative spark to lift his team out of a slump.

In other news: Marinakis must cash in on Nottingham Forest “leader” this summer as big update emerges – opinion

Leeds United are seen as potential suitors for Sam Johnstone this summer, with the goalkeeper expected to leave West Brom.

The Whites are preparing for Saturday’s daunting trip to soon-to-be-champions Manchester City, as Marcelo Bielsa’s side look to spring a surprise.

Away from the on-field action, however, Leeds continue to be linked with summer additions, as Bielsa looks to make his squad even more formidable.

[freshpress-quiz id=“351040″]

Leeds keen on Johnstone signing

According to The Athletic‘s Steve Madeley, Johnstone is a considered an option to come in and replace Kiko Casilla next season, with the Spanish veteran expected to leave Elland Road.

The England international’s current West Brom deal expires in 2022, and with the Baggies on the verge of relegation, they will likely allow him to leave this summer, earning a fee for him in the process.

Johnstone has been described as ‘outstanding’ by Gary Lineker – he has been in red hot form despite playing in a struggling Baggies side, leading the top flight in saves.

Transfer Tavern take

The Englishman could be an excellent rival to Illan Meslier moving forward, pushing him for a starting berth and keeping the youngster on his toes.

At 28, Johnstone is both experienced at the top level and also young enough for a goalkeeper that he could still have many years left in him at the top.

In other news, one reported Leeds target still favours a move to England – find out who it is here.

It isn’t often that news from Leicester City and the King Power Stadium catches supporters off-guard.

Indeed, rumours of a new signing or indeed of an extended deal usually begin developing days or even weeks before anything is usually confirmed by the club.

That is not quite exactly what happened on Thursday, however, with Danny Ward having penned a new contract at the club – and quite a lengthy one at that, with the former Liverpool stopper now tied down until the summer of 2025.

Whilst there was a real lack of any fanfare for Ward’s new deal, it was a shrewd move from Brendan Rodgers, and one which could allude to the Welshman being the natural successor to the now 34-year-old Kasper Schmeichel.

Despite having only appeared on 14 appearances for the Foxes since his 2018 arrival under Claude Puel, Ward has performed very well. In those limited appearances, he has racked up eight clean sheets, whilst only conceding eight goals in total throughout those matches.

His best performance arguably came in his first season at the club as he saved three penalties in a shootout victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.

Even current Leicester teammate Marc Albrighton is fully aware of Ward’s abilities despite his limited game time, labelling him as “incredible” following the aforementioned win against Wolves.

Considering that ability, it certainly made sense to keep Ward at the club as a hugely competent backup to regular number one Schmeichel.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leicester-city-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-soumare-soyuncu-edouard-jakupovic-lookman” title=”Latest Leicester City news, transfer rumours and more… “]

Whilst the Dane has expressed no intention of stepping away at any point yet, Ward – who is seven years his junior – could definitely be his replacement should the inevitable moment come that the long-serving Schmeichel retires.

The 27-year-old’s new deal could be the first steps in preparation for the long-term future and is an extremely shrewd move from Leicester despite catching most off-guard.

AND in more news,  Leicester have been handed a considerable injury boost ahead of the FA Cup semi-final…

Leicester City are reportedly keen to add to their midfield ranks this summer with the addition of Brighton & Hove Albion destroyer Yves Bissouma.

According to The Mirror, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers admires the Mali international and believes he could lure him to the King Power Stadium with the promise of Champions League football.

Despite the former Lille man being an excellent player having been all-but constant for the Seagulls since his arrival at the AMEX Stadium, he is simply not what the East-Midlanders need right now.

When compared to Wilfred Ndidi, Bissouma does not get anywhere near his opposite number.

According to WhoScored, the Nigerian comes out on top in pretty much every defensive department.

The former Genk man has racked up 3.2 tackles per game this season compared to Bissouma’s 2.7. Meanwhile, the Brighton man cannot topple Ndidi on interceptions either – 2.5 to 1.6.

The 24-year-old also contributes fewer blocks and clearances than the current Leicester City man so it would make no sense in bringing him into the team in a defensive role.

That point is further exacerbated when considering that the Foxes already have the likes of Nampalys Mendy and Hamza Choudhury ready as deputies for Ndidi.

Even if Bissouma is envisaged as a more attacking option than the Nigerian, he would still have to get ahead of Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet and James Maddison in the pecking order at the King Power Stadium.

Of course, with Leicester looking likely to embark on another European campaign next season, they need depth within their squad.

Bissouma would certainly add to their options, with the midfielder being labelled as “incredible” by former Brighton man Dale Stephens.

However, rated at £15.3m, it would surely make sense to implement those funds in a position that they are not already well stocked, especially not with one of the most dominant defensive midfielders in the Premier League in the form of Ndidi.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Youri Tielemans’ dominant performance as the Foxes reached the FA Cup semi-finals…