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Aston Villa could sign their new Idrissa Gueye in Metz starlet Pape Sarr as a major transfer update emerges.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Dean Smith’s side are interested in signing the 18-year-old this summer, and it now appears that his current club are willing to let him go for the right price.

Metz’s president, Bernard Cerin, said: “All the clubs now want to buy him for cheaper. We are in the opposite situation. We want to keep him a little longer.

“The wish is to keep everyone – but we do not control everything. A very high offer makes it difficult for you to convince a player to stay.”

A new Idrissa Gueye

Villa fans will, of course, know all about Gueye and the tenacious midfield work that he got through in his time at Villa Park, before making the move to fellow Premier League side Everton and now PSG.

In Sarr, Smith could find an exciting, younger version of the Senegal international.

The 18-year-old is enjoying a real breakthrough campaign with the Ligue 1 side this season, playing 22 times in the league, and has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet in recent weeks for Metz boss Frederic Antonetti.

And, Antonetti has not shied away from lavishing his midfield starlet with praise, saying: “Pape Matar Sarr is elegance in the midfield, it’s talent, it’s making others play.”

He said: “He will be able to go as far as he wants to go. He must work, be as he is there, modest, regular, hardworking. He must continue to love football and he will do like the great players, he will go far. I think he will go very far.”

Dubbed as someone who’s “got everything” to his game, Sarr has averaged an impressive two tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also boasting a passing accuracy of 85.3% – compare that to Gueye who’s managed 2.3 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per match in Ligue 1 this season, and having a 92.6% pass accuracy.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

Given his age, and the fact he’s already piling up plento of experience in terms of top-level football, and Sarr could be the kind of young talent who can fill those considerable shoes that Gueye left at Villa when he departed.

Meanwhile, Villa are facing a major transfer battle over this star…

Liverpool are interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma this summer after the midfielder’s impressive displays this season.

What’s the talk?

With Gini Wijnaldum heavily linked with an imminent move to Spanish giants Barcelona after his contract expires over the coming months, Jurgen Klopp is on the lookout for a replacement who can slot into his engine room.

According to The Express, the Anfield outfield have identified Bissouma as their ideal alternative to the departing Dutch international, although they’re expected to face a lot of competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals.

Fans will be buzzing

Although the loss of Wijnaldum will be felt by Liverpool, given how important the 30-year-old became to Klopp’s side in recent years, the links to Bissouma will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing with excitement.

The Mali international struggling to adapt to the pace of the English game during his first campaign on English soil, but the following two seasons have represented quite the turnaround for the former Lille man.

Under Graham Potter’s tutelage, Bissouma has gone from strength to strength, and he’s really asserted himself upon the Seagulls throughout 2020/21.

The tough-tackling midfielder has recorded 1.8 interceptions per game, the highest total in the first-team squad, 2.8 tackles per game, the second-highest total, and has also achieved a pass accuracy of 87.1%, the third-highest total, showcasing his ability both with and without the ball.

In an update in this ongoing transfer saga, The Athletic recently reported that Brighton are set to demand £40m for their prized assets services over the upcoming transfer window, although Pete O’Rourke and Dean Jones of the Touchline Talk podcast cast doubt over whether Liverpool would be willing to pay such a figure.

With football clubs still feeling the effects of the pandemic on their finances, transfer fees and all-round activity in the market may be down this year as a consequence, but Liverpool’s sporting director Michael Edwards may regret missing out on Bissouma if they don’t grasp this opportunity to sign him, especially if the 24-year-old goes to a direct rival instead.

And, in other news…Liverpool suffer double injury blow pre-Burnley, Jurgen Klopp will be gutted – opinion

Swansea City may have been dealt a blow to their hopes of retaining the services of Steve Cooper this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by The Sun on Sunday (via Football League World), who claim that the Swansea City manager’s agent was spotted at Selhurst Park over the weekend, with the 41-year-old being linked with the managerial position at Crystal Palace following Roy Hodgson’s retirement.

Fans will be furious

Considering just how successful Cooper has been in his short time at Swansea City, the thought of the former England U17 coach being poached by Crystal Palace so soon after his arrival in Wales is likely to leave the Swans fanbase furious.

Indeed, after taking over from a Graham Potter side that had finished in 10th-place in the Championship standings, Cooper managed to lead the team to a rather unpredicted top-six finish in his first season in charge of the club, with the Swans just missing out a shot at promotion in the play-off final after a narrow 3-2 aggregate loss against Brentford.

However, this season, the 41-year-old has taken his side one step further, as, after a fourth-place finish in the second tier and a 2-1 aggregate victory over Barnsley in the play-off semi-final, the Welsh side are now just one game away from playing Premier League football as of next season – with a play-off final clash against old foes Brentford coming up this Saturday.

So, if Swansea were to lose their gaffer this summer – something which could appear likely if Cooper’s agent really was at Selhurst Park last weekend – regardless of which league they are playing their football in next season, it would seem the club would be in a much worse position than with the 41-year-old at the helm.

In other news: Bye-bye Ayew: Swansea must seal summer deal for “fantastic” 15-goal star – opinion

New Zealand Test No 3 batsman Mathew Sinclair had been too quiet for too long and the Yorkshire Academy was on the receiving end in a premier league match with Cleethorpes on Monday

Lynn McConnell30-May-2001New Zealand Test No 3 batsman Mathew Sinclair had been too quiet for too long and the Yorkshire Academy was on the receiving end in a premier league match with Cleethorpes on Monday.Ten days ago he had the first failure of his League summer after scoring a double century and three centuries. Playing Castleford he was dismissed for 14.Then against Harrogate on Saturday he was out for five. He didn’t play in Sunday’s national club championship loss as professionals are not eligible but on Monday he was back with a vengeance.Batting first at Chichester Road against the Academy side, Sinclair shared a first wicket stand of 101 with Mike Smith. Of the 101, Smith scored 18.Sinclair was in complete control as Cleethorpes, known as ‘the Meggies’ totalled 223/8 with Sinclair hitting 202 off only 170 balls. Included in his innings were 26 fours and four sixes. He did give a chance on 17 but it wasn’t accepted and the Academy paid the price.The innings took its toll on the Academy confidence and they struggled to 86/6 before a lower-order recovery was staged which allowed the Academy side to play out for the draw finishing on 202/9. Sinclair capped his day by also picking up a wicket.What now has Cleethorpe supporters wondering is whether Sinclair might be able to complete a full scale assault on David Byas’ league record which stands at 1394 runs. Sinclair has already scored 715 from six innings for the side.Cleethorpes now head to Doncaster next weekend in a mid-table position which is a fair reflection of the season to date. If they can add a couple of more wins to their tally in the next set of matches then the lost ground of mid-May will soon be retrieved.

Australian cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Colin Miller and coach John Buchanan receivedanonymous phone calls seeking match information during the recent tour of India, it was revealed today

Robert Grant08-May-2001Australian cricketers Adam Gilchrist and Colin Miller and coach John Buchanan receivedanonymous phone calls seeking match information during the recent tour of India, it was revealed today.The unidentified caller rang during the third Test in Chennai, asking about pitch information, the state of the match and what theythought the likely outcome of the match might be, Australian Cricket Board chief executive Malcolm Speed said.The incident rekindled memories of the bookmaking scandal in 1994 when Mark Waugh and Shane Warne later confessed toselling weather and pitch reports to an Indian bookie during the tour of Sri Lanka.They were fined a total of $18,000 but the punishment was initially kept secret by the ACB.The latest incident was immediately reported to Australian team manager Steve Bernard and passed on to Speed.The ACB boss said that, on the face of it, the calls were not illegal because no offers were made to the players.The ACB reported the incident to the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit and the Indian police for investigation.Gilchrist said his phone rang as he was preparing to leave his room to go to the team bus.”We get about 10 calls a day from Indian fans. This person was obviously of Indian descent. He said he was a very enthusiasticsupporter and asked how I thought the game would go,” the Australian vice-captain told AAP.”I said that hopefully we would do well and then he asked questions about the wicket and whether it would turn and would thathelp Warney (Shane Warne) and Miller.”It didn’t really set off any alarm bells then but then I asked who he was and he asked more questions, I said don’t worry aboutit and hung up.”It was reported to the management very quickly and they got us to write a statement and explain exactly what happened.”Then it became a non-issue and we could focus on the game.”Speed said the Australian players were now well aware of the risk involved in inappropriate approaches.”We don’t know whether this person was a gambler, a bookmaker, who this person was but I think the good news that cameout of it was that it was reported and dealt with straight away,” he said.Speed said Bernard had also established that no other player or team official had received anonymous calls seeking informationabout the match.The same caller rang Gilchrist, Miller and Buchanan “at about the same time”.”The players had been alerted that if they received any calls from persons not known to them who enquired about matters suchas this it’s reported straight away,” Speed said.”It’s the first step of the players’ defence against being compromised in a position like this.”Speed said any similar incidents had to be reported and documented.He said the players were happy to follow the protocol because they had seen what happened to those who had not done so inthe past.Meanwhile, Speed would not talk about his meeting tomorrow with Buchanan, who has been the subject of speculation hewould be dropped as a selector for the upcoming Ashes tour.”I’ll be talking to John about a number of issues tomorrow. It’s not appropriate that I discuss them today,” Speed said.A report from New Delhi later quoted Indian board secretary Jaywant Lele saying he was unaware of the calls.”We’ve so far not been informed by the Australian Cricket Board about any approach made by bookies,” Lele told AFP.”I cannot comment on the news because I do not know anything about this.”

West Ham are among four clubs reported to be keen on signing Young Boys striker Jean-Pierre Nsame this summer.

That’s according to a report from TEAMtalk, who claimed that the Hammers, Celtic, Newcastle and Southampton have all placed the forward on their transfer wish lists.

The 27-year-old has made great strides during his time with the Swiss outfit, scoring 97 goals in 167 appearances. He has netted 25 times during the current campaign and is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

The Cameroon international has been with Young Boys since 2017 and his current contract runs until 2023.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if GSB are making early plans ahead of the 2021/22 season, which should be exciting news for West Ham supporters. Bolstering the squad may well be on the agenda this summer, especially with the Hammers currently in line to bring European football to the London Stadium.

Michail Antonio is David Moyes’ only senior striker, so bringing in Nsame could prove to be a shrewd move. The African has experience in both the Champions League and Europa League, so that could also prove handy when it comes to next season.

Out of the four clubs interested, you’d expect West Ham to be one of the more attractive propositions for Nsame, so this could be a deal to keep an eye on over the coming months.

In other news: Many Hammers fans buzz at links to Premier League powerhouse, find out more here. 

Kevin Phillips has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy will be ‘jumping for joy’ after Jose Mourinho was appointed as the Roma manager.

The Lowdown: Mourinho finds new club

After leaving Spurs shortly before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, Mourinho has not taken too long at all to find another club to manage.

The Portuguese boss has gone back to the Serie A after previously managing Inter Milan, this time to take charge of AS Roma.

The Daily Telegraph have since reported that Mourinho’s move will save the North London club £13m in severance pay.

The Latest: Phillips claims Levy will be buzzing

Phillips, who is now a pundit after serving as a Premier League icon throughout his footballing career, has since given his say to Football Insider on the move, and what it has meant for the Lilywhites going forward:

“Daniel Levy is jumping for joy.

“He’s saved himself a fortune there.

“I am not overly surprised because he loves football, you can hear that in his interviews. If he had an opportunity I always thought he would jump straight back in. He loves football and Roma are a very big club.

“He has jumped straight back on the horse and credit to him because lots of managers would take a break.

“It’s fantastic news for Tottenham though because it saves them upwards of £10million.”

The Verdict: Losing Mourinho a good move financially

Losing Mourinho has certainly benefitted THFC financially given the money that they have saved from him finding a new job almost straight away.

That money could now be used in finding a new manager, or add to the transfer budget when the summer window comes along.

Although the timing was a bit strange, right before a major final that could have ended their trophy drought, Ryan Mason will now get the opportunity to show what he can do until the end of the season, when the manager hunt will surely hot up now Levy has an extra £13m he thought he would never see again just a few day ago.

In other news, find out which manager Spurs have held talks with recently here!

Former Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists Manchester City will not be signing Harry Kane on the cheap this summer, telling Football FanCast it will take far more than £100m to land his signature.

The Athletic have reported previously that the England captain is set to push to leave Spurs if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season.

They are currently six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with seven games of the season remaining, though they are in the Carabao Cup final, where they will play Manchester City.

It remains to be seen if bids will be tabled for Kane this summer but reports have claimed City are interested in taking him to the Etihad Stadium.

BBC Sport reported that Kane is on a shortlist that also includes Borussia Dortmund’s strike sensation Erling Haaland, with the Daily Mail reporting he could cost around £100m.

Sergio Aguero, of course, is leaving the club this summer.

But Roberts insists that City will have to pay an astronomical fee to sign Kane this summer after a sensational season in north London.

He has scored 29 goals and provided 16 assists in all competitions this term.

Roberts told FFC: “I’m sure that if the club want to sell him, they’ll sell him.

“But it’ll be for what the club want. It won’t be for what Man City want to pay.

“£100 million? You wouldn’t even get his right foot for that!”

A number of Liverpool fans have been calling for Gini Wijnaldum to leave Liverpool this summer, after The Liverpool Echo claimed Jurgen Klopp is still hoping to convince him to stay.

The Dutchman is coming towards to the end of his fifth season as a Reds player, during which time he has been a wonderful servant.

A surprise signing at the time, back in 2016, Wijnaldum has become a key cog in the machine, knitting things together in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield and racking up 230 appearances.

The 30-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of this season, however, and he has been continually linked with a move away, namely to Barcelona.

Wijnaldum still hasn’t committed his future to the club, but the Liverpool Echo claim that Jurgen Klopp ‘hasn’t give up hope’ of keeping him at Anfield into the future.

Liverpool fans want Wijnaldum to leave

Some Liverpool supporters appear to have made their minds up regarding the Netherlands international, however, taking to Twitter to disagree with the manager.

“Let him go, sign Bissouma maybe for £30m, then Neuhaus for £35m. Big money moves”

Credit: @FLX203

“So we need freshening up with creativity and yet we are still trying to give Wijnaldum a new deal. Joke. He offers nothing now just get rid and buy a young creative dynamic midfielder”

Credit: @Braden_Simmonds

“Klopp’s blind loyalty to Gini has done nothing but hurt us this season”

Credit: @Ouellette_Brian

“Just go, give more chances to Curtis”

Credit: @Sanin18508808

“Get rid of him, he offers nothing”

Credit: @MarkPriddy9

“Klopp is finished if he thinks Gini will solve our problems next season”

Credit: @IhNafis

In other news, a surprise figure was slammed by some supporters for his performance against Real Madrid. Find out who it is here.

The Athletic’s Leeds United journalist Phil Hay has recently talked about Patrick Bamford not getting called up for the England national team.

The 27-year-old hasn’t been called up for the England national team and Luke Ayling has also missed out, although Kalvin Phillips has earned a call-up once again (BBC Sport). Hay has discussed Bamford’s situation and how he’d likely be feeling right now.

Bamford will be ‘extremely disappointed’

Hay recently talked about Bamford’s situation, commenting on one of The Athletic’s Q&A sessions for the England selection.

The journalist made it clear that he did think Bamford’s chance would come this time around and it could’ve happened if Gareth Southgate had looked at him from up close. He also said that this could’ve been now or never for the Leeds forward.

The journalist made it clear that, if getting 13 Premier League goals under Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t get him into the England side, it is tough to see how a chance will come otherwise. Hay also said that playing for England was Bamford’s personal dream and he’ll be ‘extremely disappointed’ about being overlooked this month.

Hay told The Athletic: “From a Leeds United perspective, it would have been a surprise to see Luke Ayling selected, as good as he’s been this season. Southgate is fairly well covered in that position. But I did think this would be Bamford’s time – if only to give Southgate the chance to look at him up close.

“I wrote on here [for the Athletic] a month or so ago that it felt like now or never for Bamford. If 13 PL goals under Bielsa can’t get his foot in the door, it’s quite difficult to see a point where his chance will come. Knowing him, he’ll be extremely disappointed about this. An England cap has become a bit of a personal dream for him.”

Not the end of the world for Bamford

While it would be disappointing to not get called up to the Three Lions squad despite him having scored 13 Premier League goals and getting six assists as well, but the Englishman is still only 27.

He has scored a substantial number of goals under Bielsa at Elland Road since arriving, which suggests that he could keep doing it in the future as well and there’s signs of that from the recent past, too.

While the call-up didn’t come about this time around, perhaps Bamford should stay patient and keep performing at a similar level.

In other news, Leeds have been given a boost in their chase of this Serie A ace – read more here.