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Aston Villa coach Michael Beale has spoken to Charlton Athletic over the club’s managerial vacancy, it has been revealed.

The lowdown

New Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard brought Beale, part of his coaching staff at Rangers, to the Midlands.

It’s not the first time there’s been interest from a Football League Club this autumn.

Beale was a contender to replace Mick McCarthy at Cardiff City earlier this month, but the Bluebirds went with Steve Morrison in the end.

The former Liverpool Under-23 boss certainly isn’t short on admirers, with former Villan Stiliyan Petrov hailing him as an ‘incredible coach’ and a ‘powerful communicator’.

The latest

Speaking to London News Online, Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard confirmed that there has been discussions with Beale.

But while he’s of course impressed with the 41-year-old’s CV, he suggested that he would be a less ‘ambitious’ appointment than some other of their candidates.

“He has a fantastic track record, especially on the supporting side. Of course we talked to Michael.

“We’ve also been a little more ambitious than that, in terms of the level of managers we’ve been reaching for.”

The verdict

After approaches from Cardiff and Charlton in relatively quick succession, Villa might be bracing themselves for further interest, as it certainly seems like a lower-league hot-seat is the next logical step in his coaching career.

And it would be a big blow if Beale was lured away, with one former Rangers player describing the ‘amazing’ coach as ‘the brains’ behind Gerrard’s success.

Encouragingly for Villa fans, though, Cardiff ultimately looked elsewhere, and Charlton appear to have reservations about his lack of experience too. Even though he’s earned a great deal of respect, perhaps he’s not thought to be totally ready to be the main man just yet.

In other news, fans react to Gerrard’s Tyrone Mings assessment.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are prepared to cash in on Adama Traore in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that Jeff Shi could finally be willing to part ways with the 25-year-old this winter, amid interest from both Liverpool and Barcelona.

The report goes on to state that, despite Wolves having opened contract talks with the winger back in 2019, the two parties are still no closer to agreeing terms regarding a new deal, something which caused issues under the previous management of Nuno Espirito Santo, and is once again beginning to under the leadership of Bruno Lage.

Finally, it is claimed that, although Liverpool are keen to do a deal for the Spain international this winter, Jurgen Klopp’s side value Traore at less than £30m – a figure which Shi does not want to drop below.

He’s becoming a liability

While it is undeniable that Traore is an exceptionally gifted player, not to mention an integral part of the way Wolves play their football under Bruno Lage, the fact that the 25-year-old’s contract talks are once again causing problems at Molineux appear to lead to one conclusion – the winger is becoming a liability.

As previously mentioned, the Spaniard’s ability is not in question, having averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.27 over 37 Premier League appearances in 2019/20, a rating of 7.03 over 37 league fixtures in 2020/21 and a score of 7.17 over his ten top-flight games so far this season – ranking him as Wolves’ best, third-best and best performer in each respective campaign.

However, with 90min claiming that as a result of the stalemate in his contract negotiations, Lage is now less inclined to start Traore in the league, the question must be asked as to whether it is worthwhile keeping hold of a player who is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, as well one who is currently picking up a sizeable £43k-per-week, if he is only going to warm the bench for Wolves.

As such, while it would usually be a rather strange suggestion considering his overall level of performance for the club, Shi must axe Traore this January, as it would very much appear as if the breakdown in relationship between the player who Graeme Souness dubbed a “near miss” and the club is now beyond the point of no return.

In other news: Wolves handed big injury boost ahead of West Ham clash, Bruno Lage will be buzzing

Aston Villa have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, with the south coast club having no desperate need to sell one of their star players in order to generate funds.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports, the 25-year-old is in no rush to leave the Amex Stadium this month, despite interest from the Seagulls’ Premier League rivals Villa. Moreover, Brighton manager Graham Potter has stated that he is “confident” Bissouma will stay at the club beyond this month.

The Malian’s focus will currently be on his country’s fortunes at the Africa Cup on Nations, with Sky stating that his future will become clearer once he has returned to the UK from international duty. However, the midfielder did admit back in September that it would be his “dream” to play for a Champions League club after Manchester United and Liverpool were linked with swoops.

Last week, The Athletic reported that a fee of around £50m will be demanded by Brighton if they are to let their midfield maestro depart after three-and-a-half years on the south coast. In that time, the 25-year-old has impressed massively, with Gary Linker labelling him “exceptional” last April.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

Although a deal for Bissouma may be completed in the summer, Gerrard will be desperate to add a quality midfielder to his ranks, especially with Marvelous Nakamba expected to be out until April with a knee injury.

At 6 foot in height, the Malian would offer more of a physical presence in the Villa midfield, with regulars John McGinn (5 foot 10) and Douglas Luiz (5 foot 9) shorter than the Brighton beast.

Moreover, according to SofaScore, the 25-year-old has averaged a rating of 7.21/10 in the Premier League this season. That’s significantly superior to Luiz’s 6.95 and Nakamba’s 6.65, although McGinn is averaging a slightly better 7.35.

Last season, Bissouma made an impressive 104 tackles and 64 interceptions in 36 Premier League appearances, an average of 2.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game. This term, the Malian has improved, averaging 3.6 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per match, whilst also posting a 71% dribble success rate and 89% passing accuracy.

As for McGinn and Luiz, the former is averaging 2.7 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per match, whilst the latter is lagging behind with 1.7 tackles and 1.1 interceptions.

It is clear as to why numerous clubs, including Villa, are circling around the Brighton midfielder and why his price tag is substantial. There is little doubt that Bissouma would improve Gerrard’s midfield, but the 41-year-old may have to be patient if he wants to bring the Malian to Villa Park, or else look elsewhere if an immediate solution is required.

As it stands, the manager may well be gutted that his team’s chances of landing the 25-year-old this month appear slim at best.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update which will have fans buzzing

Leeds United have shown an interest in Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas, according to The Athletic, and he’s exactly the kind of player that Marcelo Bielsa would absolutely love to have at Elland Road.

What’s the story?

In a piece written by The Athletic ahead of the EUROs, they said of Elmas: “Pivotal to the Macedonian operation, but out of sync with the demands of Gattuso at Napoli last season, Elmas will use the Euros as a showcase of his skills.

“With a contract until 2025 it’s likely to take an offer in excess of the €17m plus add-ons that the Italians paid Fenerbahce in 2019. Over the last 12 months Leeds, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund are understood to have shown an interest in a mixture of loan or permanent deals for Elmas — who doesn’t have a release clause in his contract — but others have him on their radar too.”

Bielsa would love him

Despite being only 21, Elmas has proven to be a crucial part of Napoli’s first-team squad in Serie A, making 44 appearances in all competitions last season, and is equally important at international level.

He will be a part of the North Macedonia side that are involved in EURO 2020, and his head coach, Igor Angelovski, has raved about the kind of potential he possesses.

He said: “Elmas is a good guy and a very strong player. He has physique, technical skills, he is fast, ball to foot, but above all, he is fast with the mind and has a very strong character. He was born to become a great player and will become one of the best…The boy has the characteristics to work on himself and become stronger and stronger.”

Meanwhile, his agent added: “I think Napoli have a jewel. A young footballer, a leader of his national team who often scores goals.”

That ability to score goals from midfield, and the fact he’s as versatile as they come – he played in four different positions for Napoli last season including in the middle of the park and out wide – makes him a dream for Bielsa.

A ‘one to watch’ profile done by ESPN ahead of the EUROs said: “Despite his young age, Elmas has already accumulated 27 senior caps for his country and is comfortable playing either as an inverted winger or central attacking midfielder. A strong-running midfielder, capable with either foot, he’s skilled at making purposeful runs into the box and is a fine finisher when he gets on the end of crosses or picks up loose balls. He scored the winner in the famous 2-1 victory against Germany in March.”

Rated at £43m by CIES, the 21-year-old appears to have the engine, the intelligence and the versatility to be a real hit at Elland Road under Bielsa.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

The Leeds boss would no doubt love his “strong-running”, and the fact he’s “fast with the mind” – traits that make him perfect for Bielsa-ball.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could sign Leeds’ new Ben White in this 6 ft 4 beast…

Sheffield United are one of a number of clubs interested in making a move for Oostende and Scotland defender Jack Hendry.

The Lowdown: United in need of signings

The Blades were likely expecting to be Championship promotion hopefuls this season, but they have made a poor start to the campaign, sitting 23rd in the table.

Slavisa Jokanovic may feel the need to do some late business in the transfer window, in order to add depth and quality to a currently ailing squad.

The Latest: Hendry linked with Blades move

According to The Daily Mail, United are in the mix to sign 26 year-old Hendry from Oostende in the next few days, with the Belgian side happy to sell him on for a quick profit after recently making his loan from Celtic permanent.

Premier League trio Burnley, Southampton and Newcastle United are also thought to be interested, however, as are fellow Championship side West Brom.

The Verdict: Tough to get him

Hendry is a formidable 6 foot 5 centre-back who has seven caps to his name for Scotland – he made an appearance at Euro 2020 – so he could be a great addition for the Blades.

Unfortunately, the competition comes for clubs in a better position at the moment, making it less likely that he would choose Jokanovic’s side over any of them.

The hope is that Hendry sees the appeal of moving to Bramall Lane given the club’s incredible rise and first campaign in the top flight under Chris Wilder, but it could be a hard sell currently.

In other news, a fellow Championship club have reportedly opened talks with one Sheffield United player. Read more here.

Interest in Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Brennan Johnson is intensifying as the summer transfer window draws to a close.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports (via Football League World), who claim that Brentford are in talks with Forest regarding a deal for the 20-year-old, with the Premier League side contemplating making an improvement on their previous offer for the Wales international.

However, the report continues by stating that the Bees appear reluctant to meet the Reds’ £10m valuation of the youngster, although they are still hoping to tempt Dane Murphy into a sale before the transfer deadline next Tuesday.

Big mistake

While a £10m fee would be an enormous amount of money to receive for a player who has so far made just 12 first-team appearances for Forest, considering the sheer amount of potential Johnson appears to possess, it would appear to be a huge mistake on the part of Murphy to sanction the sale of the 20-year-old this summer.

Indeed, despite Forest’s disastrous form over their opening four fixtures of the season, Johnson has been one of the few players to impress within Chris Hughton’s side, having registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player Sabri Lamouchi dubbed an “unbelievable” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the club’s third-best performer in the league.

As such, taking into account Johnson’s tender age, he would very much appear to be a player who is destined for great things in his career, as well as one who could well be the difference between survival and relegation for Forest this season.

So, should Murphy ultimately agree to sell the £360k-rated man in the coming days, it would not only leave Forest fans fuming, the CEO could well be condemning his side to a spell in League One next season.

In other news: Lost 75% duels: Abject NFFC dud who made just 6 passes badly failed Hughton vs Wolves

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Roy Hodgson to take a break from football after his Crystal Palace departure, following reports from The Sun that he could be a contender to replace Sam Allardyce at West Bromwich Albion.

Following just under four years in the Selhurst Park dugout, the 73-year-old made the decision to stand down from his role at his boyhood club earlier this week.

Palace have endured a poor end to Hodgson’s reign, winning just three times in their final 11 Premier League games, and whilst they could finish as low as 16th depending on final-day results, he’s continued the good work from those before him to make the Eagles an established top-flight club.

They never finished lower than 14th in Hodgson’s, showing that he’s clearly still more than good enough to manage at Premier League level despite this being his 45th year as a manager.

Hodgson’s previous club job before Palace was West Brom, with Jeremy Peace labelling him as “outstanding” following his appointment in the west Midlands in 2011. And following the departure of Sam Allardyce, does Windass believe he could make a sensational return to the Hawthorns?

He told Football FanCast:

“I think he needs to take a break; he’s getting on now. I’m aware that he’s hands on, on the training ground, but take a bit of time out, do a bit of media work, watch a lot of games.

“I think he will sit off now, enjoy your life. He’s been remarkable. I’ve never met him but he looks like a gentleman, but I think he will walk away.”

An update has emerged regarding Crystal Palace’s interest in West Ham centre-back Issa Diop.

What’s the talk?

According to ExWHUEmployee, via Hammers News, the Eagles are showing an interest in signing the Irons centre-back ahead of the transfer deadline.

The report claims that the Eagles are looking to bring the Frenchman in on loan after the arrival of Kurt Zouma at the London Stadium pushed him further down the pecking order under David Moyes.

Vieira would love him

Steve Parish must ensure that he can get a loan deal over the line for Diop before the window slams shut tonight, as he could be an excellent addition to the squad and a player who Patrick Vieira would love to have as an option in his defence.

The Eagles lack quality depth in the centre-back position following the departures of Gary Cahill and Scott Dann on free transfers over the summer. Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi have started the season as Vieira’s first-choice centre-back pairing, having arrived from Lyon and Chelsea respectively, but there is little in the way of strong competition for their places.

This means that Vieira could love having another quality option in that area of the pitch to challenge Guehi and Andersen and raise the standards in training and in matches. Bringing in a player to compete for a spot in the starting XI could prompt the current starters to up their game, whilst also allowing Vieira to rest and rotate when needed without worrying about the level of his team dropping drastically.

Diop is a proven Premier League performer despite his recent struggles at the London Stadium, and Vieira could enjoy helping him to get back to his best.

Jose Mourinho once hailed the French defender as a ‘monster’ after a 3-1 win for West Ham over Manchester United in 2018. The £22m signing from Toulouse impressed the Portuguese boss, who said: “Congratulations to the scout who found Diop, a monster who dictated everything.”

In the Frenchman’s first season in the Premier League with West Ham, he averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.89 in 33 starts. He won 2.3 aerial battles, 2.1 tackles and 1.9 interceptions and made 4.7 clearances and 1.1 blocks per game, showing how active he was defensively. This shows that he does have the potential to perform in the top flight and could add quality in depth for Palace if he can get back to his best, with Diop struggling for starts (15) at West Ham last season.

Therefore, Parish must secure a deal to bring him in on loan and give Vieira the chance to work with him on the training pitch to help him fulfill his potential at centre-back. It is relatively risk-free as it would only be a temporary switch, which means that it is also not the end of the world if Diop is unable to get back to his previous levels. Indeed, the worst-case scenario is that Palace have another option at centre-back who can push the starters for their places.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops key CPFC update on “outstanding” dynamo, fans will love it

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly interested in bringing Doncaster Rovers midfielder John Bostock to the club in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Moore keen on new signings

The Owls were relegated from the Championship last season, with a points deduction proving costly and final-day heartbreak coming their way.

It is now vital that Darren Moore’s side bounce back immediately, however, securing promotion from League One and not languishing in the division for too long.

New signings with experience in the third tier may be needed in order for that to happen and a fresh rumour has now emerged regarding Wednesday’s summer business.

The Latest: Sheff Wed eye up move for Bostock

According to the Sheffield Star, Moore is keen on bringing Bostock to Hillsborough, with the 29-year-old making 18 appearances for Doncaster in League One last season.

The midfielder was once seen as one of the most exciting teenagers in the country during his Tottenham days, but his career hasn’t panned out in the manner many expected.

The Verdict: Shrewd addition by Moore

Bostock worked under Moore at Doncaster last season, with the Owls boss signing him in January, so the fact that he knows the player well can only be a good thing.

The former Spurs man actually enjoyed a short spell on loan Wednesday back in 2011/12, but the hope is that he would come in permanently and make a bigger impression.

Given his early-career hype, when the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted to sign him, it is clear that Bostock possesses quality and he could be a shrewd addition at the heart of the Owls’ midfield.

In other news, Sheff Wed have rejected a bid for one key player – find out who it is here.

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as they officially launched their brand new away kit ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Footage of the likes of Adama Traore, Fabio Silva and Raul Jimenez wearing the new shirt was shared by the Midlands club on their official Twitter page.

Members of the Molineux faithful can now buy the new strip on the website – it boasts a predominantly dark grey colour with some Old Gold spatters, dark grey shorts and dark grey socks.

The launch of a new kit is always an exciting time for supporters, as it signals that the new season is not long away, and WWFC fans will be able to see their team wear all of their new shirts in due course, when the new Premier League campaign kicks off next week.

Wolves fans on new kit

These Wanderers buzzed as footage of the new kit was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘absolutely fantastic’:

“I love it”

Credit: @wendyayit

“Absolutely fantastic…. Haven’t bought a shirt in years but could not resist this one”

Credit: @martin_h_

“Beautiful kit would look amazing on a new signing”

Credit: @moixlyo

“That’s absolute quality. Nice one.”

Credit: @wolvesbradders

“That’s unbelievable wow”

Credit: @HarrisonPoole5

“That is unreal”

Credit: @bsutton19

In other news, find out what Tim Spiers update has Wanderers raging here!