Leeds United have already bolstered their backline considerably this summer, yet there remains one more addition they could make to truly forge a formidable defence once again…

Is Taylor Harwood-Bellis leaving Manchester City?

Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow marked fine additions to kickstart Daniel Farke's reign, but he will still be far from comfortable going into the new Championship campaign, which gets underway this Sunday.

He will want to build for the future, whilst also ensuring that their Premier League absence is considerably shorter than their last.

In an effort to achieve both of these feats in one fell swoop, the reports linking them with a move for Taylor Harwood-Bellis should have fans thrilled, especially after the exceptional past year the young defender has enjoyed, which has led to such widespread interest.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

With Manchester City set to command just £15m for his services, such a deal would represent a no-brainer for the promotion-chasing Whites seeking to put themselves in the strongest position to succeed this season.

How good is Taylor Harwood-Bellis?

To once again raid the Etihad for talent would be to repeat a thorough success of the past, given Jack Harrison was a famous export from the Sky Blues who has gone on to shine at Elland Road.

Despite only joining permanently in 2021, the 26-year-old has featured 206 times for the club due to his near-three-year loan spell, as a mainstay under every boss that has passed through in recent terms.

Although his form might have waned for periods, he has remained one of the few consistent quality assets at the Yorkshire outfit, with his figures seldom letting the side down.

Just last season saw him post 12 goal contributions in the league as they fell to the drop, building on the eight goals and one assist he recorded the year prior. To emphasise his longevity at the club, he even notched 14 goal contributions during their last promotion.

There is no doubting his quality, which Marcelo Bielsa sought to showcase in 2021:

"He’s a player who, when he manages to play at his best version, he has a big influence on our offensive game".

To think, the English trickster was signed for just £11m, marking yet another coup that they could be set to emulate with Harwood-Bellis.

The 21-year-old centre-back has most recently enjoyed a standout year on loan at Burnley, featuring 32 times in the league as they walked to the Championship title.

His 7.21 average rating was the second-best among Vincent Kompany's players, and was buoyed by his 85% pass accuracy, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Then, after adding one piece of silverware to his cabinet, he then captained the England U21 side to the European Championship, winning the tournament without conceding a single goal.

He truly is a formidable leader, with the figures to suggest he could even surpass Harrison's legacy should he grow into the player his potential suggests he might.

Tony Mowbray, who enjoyed his services whilst at Blackburn Rovers, helped to outline the bright future in question further:

"Taylor has a defensive instinct, a warrior attitude and he’s someone who wants to win headers and tackles. He wants to engage, he’s composed on the ball and has a lot of really good attributes."

If Harwood-Bellis can realise even half the potential that he is gathering with his ever-improving performances, then he would not just emulate but demolish the success enjoyed with their signing of Harrison from City.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has a 'real interest' in free agent Spain international Adama Traore as he looks to expand his options in the final third, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Adama Traore a free agent?

Traore left Wolverhampton Wanderers upon the expiration of his contract at the end of last campaign alongside veteran pair Diego Costa and Joao Moutinho to seek a new challenge, as per BBC Sport.

Valued at €10 million (£8.6 million) by Transfermarkt's market value estimate, the eight-time Spain cap has yet to find a new home despite the new Premier League campaign drawing close to getting underway.

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are believed to be 'plotting' a move to sign Traore as a free agent to inject some further pace and power on the right flank.

The report states that Traore has been placed on a shortlist of potential offensive targets for Aston Villa and he also has a contract offer 'on the table' from Wolves; however, the proposal is less financially rewarding than the deal that was put forward to him two years ago at Molineux.

Last term, Traore, who has been hailed as "ferocious", made 40 appearances in all competitions for Wolves, registering three goals and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

As per Gianluca Di Marzio via The Daily Mail, AC Milan have also been in contact with Traore's agent, Jorge Mendes, to see if a deal to bring the 27-year-old to the San Siro is a possibility this summer.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has confirmed that Aston Villa are keen on Traore and signified that they are 'exploring' the chance to bring him to Villa Park.

Galetti stated: "Aston Villa are following some players and are waiting for the right opportunity to make some moves. They have real interest in the former Wolves winger Traore, who is now a free-agent and is still looking for a new club. Villa are exploring the opportunity to sign him."

Who else could Aston Villa look to bring in this window and who could leave?

Aston Villa manager Emery has already acted to bring in Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans this window and more incomings as well as some outgoings will be expected at the club between now and the close of play in the market.

According to The Daily Mail, Aston Villa have asked about Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams and would be willing to activate his £25 million release clause.

Reports in Spain via TEAMtalk claim that Sevilla full-back Gonzalo Montiel has emerged as a target in the West Midlands amid rumours that he is far from happy at his current employers and would welcome an exit.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Philippe Coutinho could be set to leave Aston Villa this summer on Twitter X, stating: "Understand one club from Qatar has now asked for conditions of Philippe Coutinho deal. Coutinho could leave Aston Villa in case he receives good proposal; Saudi clubs also approached him in July."

Villans youngster Aaron Ramsey may also be on his way out and is in talks with Middlesbrough over a move that would net Emery in the region of £12 million and could include a buyback clause, as per The Express & Star.

Moeen Ali has admitted England “let themselves down” with the bat in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane

George Dobell at the Gabba26-Nov-20171:03

Moeen refuses to blame glued finger for poor bowling

Moeen Ali has admitted England let themselves down with the bat in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.On a blameless batting track, England failed to make 200 in their second innings with none of their batsmen scoring more than 51. But while Moeen accepted England weren’t going to win on the final day, with Australia requiring just 56 more runs with all 10 of their second-innings wickets in hand, he took some encouragement from his side’s performance and suggested Australia are “not as good as we sometimes make out”.”We’re very disappointed,” Moeen said. “For the first three days, we played well and were in the game. Today we let ourselves down with the bat.”A few players got in, but nobody made the big score that we needed. We couldn’t get that big hundred. It was a good pitch to bat on but we haven’t made a hundred in the game. When you come to the Gabba, you have to have guys who get hundreds if you’re going to have any chance of winning. We’ll have to score hundreds in the next four games.”Moeen did not spare himself from such criticism. Despite a slightly controversial dismissal in the second innings, Moeen insisted he had nobody to blame but himself after making scores of 38 and 40.In that second innings, he was adjudged out stumped when the TV umpire, Chris Gaffaney, concluded (after multiple replays) that he had dragged his back foot out of a crease that appeared to be slightly unevenly painted. It was a desperately tight decision, certainly, but Moeen had no criticism for the umpire or any of the groundstaff.”If I was bowling I’d want it to be given out,” he said. “I thought I was all right at the time, but the replay looked very tight. It depends at what angle you look at it. You have to respect the umpire’s call.”I’m just disappointed with myself for getting out like that. I was most disappointed in the time I was out. Jonny Bairstow and I were building a good partnership.”They were under a little bit of pressure then. If we could have carried on, we could have set them 220 or even more than that. So to get out then was very disappointing.”Moeen also refused to make excuses for a disappointing personal display with the ball in the second innings. While he said he had struggled with a cut spinning finger in the first innings, he admitted he just bowled poorly in the second when he was removed from the attack after four expensive overs.Moeen Ali was stumped off a ripper from Nathan Lyon•Getty Images

“I ripped my spinning finger after about 15 overs of the first innings” he said. “It’s not been easy since then. I’ve had to have it glued and filed and tried to keep it hard.”But today it felt much better and I just didn’t bowl very well.”Most of all, though, he was frustrated that England had failed to take opportunities against an Australia side that are good, certainly, but not unbeatable.”We feel Australia are a good side,” he said. “But they’re not as good as we sometimes make out. We know we have to compete very well in the next four games.”Steve Smith has probably been the difference. Without him they would have struggled to get anywhere near 300. He played very well.”We scored 300 in our first innings without Alastair Cook or Joe Root scoring many runs. That’s a positive. And the new guys played quite well. We had big partnerships and the run-out of James Vince, in the first innings, was a big moment. Then we had them at 70 for four but we couldn’t take the next wicket.”Inevitably, Moeen was asked about the absence of Ben Stokes and he admitted he had been missed.”In the last couple of years, we’ve been very good at getting a big score despite losing wickets at the top of the order,” Moeen said. “The lower order have contributed a lot.”Here it us cost us in both innings. But it’s more an issue for the top six or seven: we have to be the ones to score big hundreds and put the opposition under pressure.”Obviously Ben is a very good player. He gives us great balance coming in at No. 6, with Bairstow No. 7 and me at No. 8. It means we can get lower-order runs. So he’s always going to be a miss. But we know he’s not here and we have to get on with it.”

Craig Overton looks set to make his debut in place of Jake Ball in the day-night Test at Adelaide

George Dobell at Adelaide01-Dec-2017Craig Overton appears to be winning the selection race ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide, and looks set to make his debut in place of Jake Ball in the England side.While the final decision will be left to Joe Root, the England captain, both Overton and Ball were named in a 12-man squad on the eve of the second Test.Overton, the 23-year-old Somerset seamer, has impressed in the nets over recent days and had an extended batting session against short-pitched bowling in training on Friday evening.Ball had something of a mixed experience in Brisbane. While he took a key wicket early in Australia’s first innings – that of David Warner – he was also the most expensive bowler, conceding 4.27 runs per over.By contrast, James Anderson and Stuart Broad both conceded fewer than two runs an over in Australia’s first innings while Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali conceded 2.79 and 2.46 per over respectively. With one of England’s tactics being to frustrate Australia’s batsmen into errors, Ball’s relative costliness was an issue.He could consider himself unfortunate if he misses out, though. Few batsmen are dropped after one modest game and Ball was, at times, asked to deliver spells of sustained short-pitched deliveries which resulted in a few more boundary opportunities for the batsmen.He also found himself bowling on a pitch offering him little. The surface in Adelaide, while certainly far from the seamers’ paradise some suggest, might offer bowlers just a little more assistance. Certainly it looks likely to be quicker while a combination of the pink ball and the use of floodlights might ask a few more questions of the batsmen.Overton might also strengthen the tail a little. While he has had a horrid run of form on the tour so far – he has been dismissed for a duck in all three of his innings to date – he has a first-class century behind him and retains ambitions to develop into a true all-rounder. The England management have stressed, however, that the respective batting merits of the pair is not relevant to the selection decision and they aim simply to pick the bowler they think will prove most effective.Having not played international cricket, Overton might well face something of a baptism of fire if he is picked. While most Ashes Tests offer an intense atmosphere – a full house is expected on Saturday – this one could be more tense than usual due to a deteriorating relationship between the sides. While there may be a certain amount of pantomime-style playing to the crowd about some incidents, there are also a couple of players on either side who appear to genuinely dislike one another.Meanwhile Moeen Ali came through his first spell of bowling since the Brisbane Test without any serious issues. Moeen sustained a deep cut on his spinning finger in Brisbane which compromised his performance and threatened his ability to bowl in Adelaide. While a chunk of the blistered skin did come off after a brief bowl in the nets on Friday night, he reported no pain or serious inconvenience and confirmed his ability to bowl as required in the Test.It was noticeable, however, that Root had a longer bowl than usual and may use himself to lessen the burden on Moeen.

Australia’s captain Steven Smith has never felt better at the crease than during the early part of his Perth Ashes epic, before he re-adjusted to grind down England and absorbed a considerable physical toll to do so.By reaching 239 before his dismissal, Smith raised his career average to 62.32 after 108 innings in 59 matches, ranking him the second best batsman to Sir Donald Bradman in terms of average – now ahead of his former team-mate Adam Voges. The innings pushed Australia into a strong position to regain the urn with victory in the final Ashes Test at the WACA Ground, and Smith said it was not achieved without considerable exhaustion – support staff ran out a chair for him to sit on during drinks in the final session.”I was actually really tired at tea yesterday, and was struggling a little bit then, and went in and had to have some sugar and a banana and something to eat,” Smith told ABC Radio. “I don’t like to eat too much when I bat.”The strength and conditioning coach Kelly [Aaron Kellett] basically forced it down my throat and said ‘You need something to eat.’ It was good in the end, because it switched me back on and I actually felt pretty good in the last session. I was a little bit tired last night, but a good tired after batting for so long.””I really enjoyed it, particularly out there with Mitch [Marsh] who was playing so well and scoring so freely, it just enabled me to just keep batting and keep batting, and hopefully a few more this morning.”Smith’s innings was played in two distinct phases, as he motored to 92 on the second evening with scarcely believable levels of ease, before digging in on the third day to press into the lead, largely in the company of the recalled Mitchell Marsh. “I think that first night I was on, as you say,” Smith said. “I was in the zone, and everything hit the middle of the bat. I felt incredibly good. Probably didn’t feel quite as good yesterday, but still came off well and got the runs that we needed. That first night was probably as good as I’ve felt.Steven Smith walks off after making 239•Getty Images

“I guess it’s just getting across into that position I’ve been getting into for a while, with my back foot on off stump or thereabouts, and watching the ball. If it’s at my stumps and it’s a good length, defending it, and if it’s too full, hitting it. Just defending good balls and putting away bad balls, really.”I just [try] not to think too much. Keep batting and keep enjoying it. I’d prefer to be out there. I don’t like watching cricket that much, to be honest. So I’d prefer to be out there making runs than up there watching someone else do it. That just motivates me to try and score as many runs as I can. I just sit on my bat at the other end if I’m off strike, and try and relax as much as possible. But nothing too different I don’t think.”As for Marsh, who in making 181 stamped himself as a long-term Australian Test player, Smith said the allrounder had made significant technical improvements. “I think his defence, he’s softened his hands a little bit,” Smith said.”He actually nicked one yesterday and it went down and didn’t carry here at Perth on a wicket that’s been pretty quick, to be fair, so I think that’s something he’s improved a lot. He was just defending the good balls, and anything that’s loose he was putting it away. We spoke about it out there: I said ‘That’s just batting. That’s how you do it.’ He was really confident and played exceptionally well.”

Jordan Henderson is already breaking records at Ajax, with his No.6 jersey becoming the fastest-selling in the club’s long and distinguished history.

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England international bid farewell to Saudi ArabiaFormer Liverpool captain now back in EuropeArrival in Amsterdam has caused quite a stirWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international midfielder finds himself in the Netherlands after bringing an unhappy six-month spell at Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq to a close. The former Liverpool captain has returned to Europe and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract in Amsterdam.

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His arrival at Ajax has caused quite a stir, with fans scrambling to claim a piece of official merchandise. Henderson's new No.6 jersey tops that wish list, with previous sale records posted by Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind being smashed. Henderson has shifted more shirts in 24 hours than the aforementioned duo managed in a week.

DID YOU KNOW?

The only Ajax jersey that has outperformed Henderson’s is the Bob Marley special edition shirt from 2021-22. When it comes to an individual player, the latest recruit at the Johan Cruyff Arena now stands in a league of his own.

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WHAT NEXT FOR HENDERSON?

It is not only in the Netherlands that Henderson has proved popular, with his past ties to Premier League giants Liverpool ensuring that he is also a big draw in Asia. He has taken the No.6 vacated by Davy Klaassen and, if he is registered in time, will hope to make his debut in Sunday's Eredivisie clash with RKC Waalwijk.

Jorginho made the move across London from Chelsea to Arsenal back in January. There have been rumours of him moving on from the Emirates already but Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT.

Will Jorginho stay put?

Since arriving in North London, Jorginho, who was hailed for being a "top guy", has hardly had the smoothest of journeys. Arsenal may have enjoyed a successful 2022/23 season but the Champions League winning midfielder remained on the outskirts of the team.

As a result, there have been rumours swirling that point towards his imminent departure. The most likely destination is said to be Turkey with Fenerbahce leading the charge.

Granit Xhaka already left the club though, returning to the Bundesliga to join Bayer Leverkusen and Thomas Partey also faces an uncertain future as well. This means that Mikel Arteta can hardly boast loads of midfield depth and will need contributions from as many players as possible as they take on European football in the coming season, after they of course came second and secured a Champions League spot.

What is Ryan Taylor's update?

"I expect him to stay 100%. I think the only way that would probably change is if Arsenal decided they wanted to bring in another midfielder.

"But even still, I can't really see Jorginho leaving, he's only just joined. I think long term, he will probably depart in the next year or so.

"But I think it seems to have been quite settled in pre-season and there's not really anything concrete.

"There's talk of interest from Fenerbahce, but from what I understand that's not genuine at the moment and his agent has ruled out a return to Italy on a lot of occasions this summer.

"So unless something changes, I think he'll be remaining with the club."

What else is going down at the Emirates?

The Arsenal starting XI was more or less perfect last year and so a lot of the transfer business this summer was geared towards adding further depth.

One position of note is in between the sticks where Aaron Ramsdale thrived last term. USMNT number one Matt Turner was his deputy but, as per Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, a move to Nottingham Forest is “advanced and progressing” for him. Brentford’s David Raya is the man being touted as the next goalkeeper to join Arsenal although given the fee and his ability, he is more likely to push than Ramsdale for the starting spot as opposed to settling for the rotation role.

Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz are the notable new arrivals already through the Emirates’ door and they all started the Community Shield success over title rivals Manchester City. Rice and Timber in particular played really well and have showed positive signs of what Gunners’ fan can expect from them this season.

Folarin Balogun is a final name worth mentioning when it comes to his potential departure from Arsenal. Turner’s international teammate excelled on loan with Stade Reims in Ligue 1 last season and, according to reports from The Daily Mail, a sizable offer has been rejected by Arsenal from another French team. The English side are holding out for £50 million which is more than Monaco are willing to offer at the time of writing.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, has a low release clause that becomes active this summer.

• Sesko moved to RB Leipzig in summer
• Has release clause in current contract
• Striker of interest to Premier League clubs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Sesko snubbed a move to Manchester United in the summer when he left Red Bull Salzburg to join RB Leipzig on a five-year deal. According to , his contract at RB Leipzig contains a release clause of €50 million (£42m/$54m) that can be activated in the summer.

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  The news of Sesko's relatively low release clause is likely to be of interest to his admirers. United are in the midst of a disappointing season and could look to overhaul their squad in the summer, particularly as they have a striker shortage. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Sesko as they look to boost their attacking options.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sesko became the youngest player to score for RB Leipzig in the Champions League when he netted against Young Boys in September at the age of 20 years and 111 days.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sesko may well be tempted to move on if there is interest in the summer. The youngster is not a regular starter at RB Leipzig currently but has scored seven goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga side so far this season.

Meticulous and clinical, the Adelaide Strikers turned a precarious position against the Sydney Thunder into a 25-run win to reach the top of the Big Bash League table

The Report by Tim Wigmore07-Jan-2018Adelaide Strikers 7 for 158 (Ingram 48, Carey 34, Fawad 3-31) beat Sydney Thunder 9 for 133 (Nesser 3-29, Siddle 2-13, Rashid 2-21) by 25 runsMeticulous and clinical, the Adelaide Strikers turned a precarious position against the Sydney Thunder into a 25-run win to reach the top of the Big Bash League table.Yet again, the Strikers’ success was underpinned by Rashid Khan, the outstanding player in the tournament so far. In five matches, he has recorded figures of 2-22, 2-22, 2-19, 2-18 and now 2-21, bowling with control and penetration that has allowed the Strikers to triumph when batting first, while their opponents favour chasing. To boot, he even heaved a couple of sixes in the final over of Adelaide’s innings.The margin of the Strikers’ victory defied their struggles for much of the night. Colin Ingram’s six-ridden 48 hauled them to 158 for 7; then, with the Thunder on 42 for no loss after five overs, Peter Siddle delivered a crucial maiden before combining with Rashid to throttle the home team. Even Ben Rohrer’s three late sixes were not enough to give the Thunder real hope of avenging their defeat at the Adelaide Oval before Christmas.Adelaide steady as she goesThe Strikers are unusual in their penchant for batting first when they win the toss – something they have done more than the other seven teams combined this BBL season. It is a reflection of how, with a strong bowling attack that includes Rashid, who is especially proficient in the second innings, they feel comfortable defending totals. Travis Head won the toss, batted first and won against the Sydney Thunder at Adelaide a fortnight ago, and aimed to do the same on Sunday evening. Perhaps the scorching heat in Sydney – it was the hottest day in the city for 80 years – played a role too, making it attractive for the Strikers to field when it was cooler later in the night. The Strikers began their innings smoothly enough, just a little slowly: after eight overs, they had only lost one wicket, yet had a run rate of under seven.Getty Images

Fawad pulls them backLegspinners have been the most successful type of bowlers in this season of the Big Bash. And for all the attention on the overseas stars – Rashid, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah – Fawad Ahmed has been almost as effective. In the ninth over of the Strikers innings, he changed the complexion of the game by snaring both set batsmen. First, Travis Head spliced a shot to long-on. Then, after striking a couple of slog-swept boundaries – the second was caught on the long-on boundary, but Kurtis Patterson was touching the rope while initially taking the catch – Alex Carey was flummoxed by a googly and clean bowled. Fawad cleaned up Jonathan Wells with a delivery that went straight on in his final over, to end with 3 for 31 and take his BBL season haul to eight wickets at 18.50 apiece, to go with an economy rate of 6.16. In all, the Thunder delivered 12 overs of spin, with Chris Green taking 1 for 22 from his allocation.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ingram’s late dashAt 4 for 104 with one ball of the 16th over left, the Strikers weren’t going anywhere quickly. Then, Colin Ingram did as overseas batsmen are supposed to do. With beautiful timing, he creamed three sixes – a heave over long-on from Arjun Nair, a crisp strike over long-off off Green, and a pull over square leg off Gurinder Sandhu – to haul Adelaide into a position from which they could amass a working total. As Ingram walked off, slashing a full and wide delivery from Sandhu to the keeper, the suspicion remained that the total would not be quite enough. But Rashid harrumphed two sixes in the final three balls of the Strikers innings to shore them up to 7 for 158; 54 of those runs having come off the final 25 balls.Thunder’s flying startAt 32 without loss in four overs, the Thunder appeared to be cruising towards their target. Head entrusted Rashid to bowl the fifth over, but Patterson scythed two fours through the covers to leave the home team requiring only 117 from 15 overs with ten wickets still in hand. It should have been a cruise.The squeezeThe Strikers’ comeback began with that rarest of T20 commodities: the maiden. Siddle produced six deliveries of subtle variation and immaculate precision to Jos Buttler. In the following over, Rashid’s googly had Buttler clean bowled, and suddenly the Thunder were stifled. In four overs together, Siddle and Rashid conceded only 13 runs – the prelude to a stretch of 42 balls without a boundary. In the process, as if sleepwalking, the Thunder’s position of overwhelming domination first became uncertain, and then increasingly precarious. Both Patterson and Shane Watson scored at a strike-rate of well under 100.The endgameBy the time Watson was out, heaving a catch to long-on, the Thunder needed 84 from only 41 balls, though they still had seven wickets in hand. Yet, once again, Rashid proved far too good – and even caught Green at long-on to effectively seal the Strikers’ victory. Rohrer struck some admirable blows late, but it always seemed futile.

Aston Villa have contacted Manchester United to ask about a deal for Harry Maguire, and a new report has revealed his stance on joining the club this summer.

Is Harry Maguire leaving Man United?

The Red Devils centre-back first arrived at Old Trafford from Leicester back in 2019, and despite having become a regular feature of the first team during his four years at the club, last season he fell significantly out of favour under Erik Ten Hag having failed to compete with the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Rapahael Varane.

In the Premier League, England’s international was handed just eight starts during the previous campaign, so despite still having another two years to run on his contract, he will know how low down in his manager’s pecking order he is, and the boss himself recently publicly told him to step up his game. The Dutchman said:

“He has to fight for his place. He has the ability to be a top-class centre-back and he is the best for England so why shouldn’t he be the best for us? But he has to prove it. When he is not confident enough to fight then he has to go, then he has to make a decision, but I’m happy with him."

Read The Latest Aston Villa Transfer News HERE…

According to West Ham manager David Moyes, his side have already seen a £30m bid for the 30-year-old accepted but the finer details like personal terms are yet to be finalised, allowing other clubs to step in and potentially hijack the deal, something which seems to be on the mind of NSWE, Unai Emery and Monchi.

Are Aston Villa signing Harry Maguire?

According to Football Transfers, Aston Villa have “made enquiries” for Maguire having identified him as a potential replacement for Tyrone Mings who was stretchered off the pitch with a serious knee injury during the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle last weekend.

The Midlands outfit won’t submit an offer until they know the extent of the damage to their own defender, though it's since been revealed that he will require surgery, but it’s stated that “talks are at an early stage” with Man United and chiefs have made the top-flight giants aware that they would be “prepared to match and beat” any proposals that were put forward by other interested parties.

As it stands, West Ham are still the player’s “preferred destination”, but having still not yet agreed personal terms as mentioned above, anything could happen in the final weeks of the window.

What is Harry Maguire's salary?

At Man United, Maguire currently pockets £190k-per-week which he isn’t really earning considering his lack of game time, but should he be put on a decent wage if he was to make the move to Aston Villa, that could all change because he still has so much potential to offer.

The Sheffield-born talent last season ranked in the 89th percentile for aerial wins and was averaging 2.6 clearances per top-flight game, showing that he’s a “dominant” physical presence in the air, as dubbed by Ten Hag, whilst also being strong at getting rid of the danger from his area.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who has racked up 52 goal contributions (28 goals and 24 assists) since the start of his career, has plenty of experience in a back three or four, so he would provide Emery with some welcome versatility, therefore making this a no-brainer of a deal to wrap up should the right opportunity present itself.