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Manchester City’s record signing Jack Grealish does not expect to be at the club next season, according to a report from Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Record signing

In the summer of 2021, it was announced that City had signed the Aston Villa captain for £100m, the biggest transfer dee in British football history.

However, since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, the England international has faced criticism for a number of his performances, which were seen to be below-par for the club’s record signing.

In his first season with the Sky Blues, the winger made 26 top-flight appearances for Pep Guardiola, contributing just three goals and three assists for the Premier League champions.

The Latest: Grealish could be going

According to Football Insider, Grealish has told friends that he does not expect to be at Man City next season.

The 27-year-old apparently believes that Guardiola’s tactical setup is failing to extract the best of his individual qualities, and he fears that he made a big mistake joining a team with such strict passing routines.

It is said that the former Villa playmaker has complained that he does not get enough of the ball at City.

The Verdict: Underrated at Man City

When looking at Grealish’s underlying statistics, it could be argued that his tenure with the Premier League champions has been severely underrated.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the England international ranks in the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 3% for pass completion.

Hailed by Guardiola for his ‘incredible’ debut at City, Grealish has joined a team of superstars – a stark contrast to life at Villa Park – so things were always going to be different at the Etihad.

However, he is definitely contributing positively to the Sky Blues, so the harsh criticism that he often receives can be unfair.

Arsenal have seen a second bid rejected for Douglas Luiz…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports, who broke the news in the last few hours.

“Breaking news. Aston Villa have rejected Arsenal’s improved £23million bid for midfielder Douglas Luiz,” an update read on their ‘Transfer Centre’ and since then, journalist Kaveh Solhekol has provided further comments on the situation.

“If Aston Villa don’t sell him today, Luiz can speak to other clubs from January and leave for free next summer,” he said.

“Villa have said he is not for sale but the player wants to join Arsenal. However, he would like to leave the club on good terms.”

Deadline day disaster

Failure to secure a new central midfielder before tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline would be something of a disaster from technical director Edu Gaspar, who has certainly left it late to complete the Gunners’ business this summer.

Of course, their plans have somewhat changed in the last few days after Mohamed Elneny suffered what was described as a “significant injury” by The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

He was filling in for Thomas Partey, who too is injured, in Arsenal’s engine room, so it leaves manager Mikel Arteta hugely light on options heading into the next few weeks and that could put their 100% win record in the top-flight in grave danger.

Particularly because they face a resurgent Manchester United side on Sunday afternoon.

Luiz would have been an ideal signing for the north London giants, given his experience in England so far and he’s also a player that the Spaniard knows well from his time at Manchester City, where he was assistant manager to Pep Guardiola, who once dubbed the Brazil international as “important” and “clever.”

He would also need little time to adapt to life at the Emirates Stadium as there is already a Brazilian contingent at the club and the fact that he’s racked up 107 Premier League appearances is a bonus too, that included a goalscoring showing in Arsenal’s win over Villa on Wednesday night, too.

As Arteta desperately needs further midfielders, failure to bring Luiz to the club could be a disastrous end to what has been a pretty solid window otherwise.

Some reports suggest that £30m would do it, which is only a £7m increase on their previous offer, so Edu and co would be foolish to give up now.

AND in other news, Late Arsenal move for £30m ace is “one to keep an eye on”, he’s better than Martinelli…

Newcastle United could make ‘a real push’ to sign Everton youngster Anthony Gordon this summer, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Gordon linked with Everton exit

The Englishman enjoyed an impressive 2021/22 season for a struggling Everton team, scoring four times and registering two assists in the Premier League.

Gordon has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park in recent days, however, with Newcastle and Chelsea appearing to be the front-runners to sign him.

Now, a new update has further suggested that the Magpies could add the 21-year-old to their squad this summer.

The Latest: Newcastle up their interest

Writing on Twitter on Sunday evening, Jacobs has claimed that Newcastle could do their best to acquire Gordon’s signature over the next few weeks:

“The other point to make is if it becomes apparent Everton will sell (a change of stance), don’t rule out #NUFC making a real push again. They were put off by the valuation, & Everton dismissive of their bid. But Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth really like Gordon.”

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The Verdict: Player with big potential

Gordon would be someone who comes in as much as a long-term acquisition as a current star, with his future ceiling undoubtedly high after busting onto the scene at Everton.

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There is still a rawness to his game that will be ironed out over time but he is already one of the Blues’ most important attacking players, possessing pace, quality and fight. Alan Shearer has described him as a ‘fearless’ player, which is high praise from such a legendary figure at St James’ Park.

Squad depth is essential at Newcastle if they are to push for a top-six finish this season and Gordon is somebody who could provide exactly, not necessarily starting every week but bringing a real threat off the substitutes’ bench.

Aston Villa could sign a new striker late in the transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Birmingham Mail journalist Ashley Preece, who has backed sporting director Johan Lange to spring a late surprise this summer.

When asked if a move for a new forward was close in a recent online Q&A with supporters, the reporter said:

“Nope; could be a Lange-esque surprise a little later in the window.”

Lange’s late masterclass

Whilst it remains to be seen exactly who the Villans could sign as their new striker to rival the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, it is certainly encouraging to see a reliable source tip a move happening.

We know that Lange likes to operate in a very subtle way – for example, Ings’ switch to Villa Park from Premier League rivals Southampton came completely out of the blue last summer, and to an extent, he nipped in under the radar to seal Diego Carlos in this very window.

Having already signed five players this off-season, Gerrard is still light on options and it’s widely thought that a new striker is amongst the priorities.

Lille frontman Jonathan David, former Everton flop Moise Kean and even the manager’s former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez have all been linked to the club at some point this summer.

Last season, Villa struggled in front of goal as only one player managed to get into double figures – Watkins (11 goals). Ings followed closely behind on seven goals, with Jacob Ramsey ending the 2021/22 campaign on six goals, as per WhoScored.

Throughout pre-season, the striking duo have looked a little lacklustre in front of goal, leading to some fears amongst the Villa Park faithful.

Lange must be working on deals behind the scenes, so Preece’s backing is surely going to leave supporters delighted and if he does deliver, then Gerrard will be absolutely thrilled, too.

This is something to watch heading into the final five weeks of the summer transfer window.

AND in other news, Gerrard could seal “great talent” with late Aston Villa swoop for £49k-p/w target…

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Rangers could soon lose both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos from Ibrox, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Aribo sold, Bassey set to go…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is gearing up for his first full season in charge of the Premiership giants and has made five signings so far.

However, he will be without midfielder Joe Aribo, who has joined Southampton, and Rangers also look set to lose defender Calvin Bassey.

Ajax are closing in on the 22-year-old’s services in a deal worth €22m (£18.7m) plus €5m (£4.25m) in add-ons, and Agbonlahor has voiced his belief that more exits from Ibrox could be around the corner.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Talking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor – who contributes for talkSPORT – was asked if Rangers can persuade Kent and Morelos to sign new contracts at Ibrox, amid recent reports that talks are underway to that effect.

He believes that will be ‘very difficult’ and doesn’t think that the Gers can match wages from clubs in England’s top two tiers.

Agbonlahor claimed:

“It’s very difficult. Players talk, agents talk. They will know what the top Championship clubs and Premier League clubs can pay.

“I don’t think Rangers can match those wages. Maybe that’s why these players won’t sign new contracts.

“It’s very difficult to match the £50,000-a-week, £60,000-a-week, £70,000-a-week that some of these players are getting.

“Kent and Morelos will want similar money to what Aribo is now getting [at Southampton]. Rangers can’t get anywhere near that. Maybe they can keep them for another year and then let them go on a free.

“They can’t afford to lose Aribo and Kent in the same summer. It will make it harder for them to get closer to Celtic.

“Tom Lawrence is a great signing, I really like him so he’ll be a top player for them as well.”

The Verdict: Decision needed

Both Kent and Morelos have been heavily linked with moves away from Ibrox over the last few years and are into their final 12 months of their respective deals.

Therefore, Rangers could do with making a decision on whether or not to cash in on them this summer if progress is not made in contract negotiations.

The latter scenario could result in the two forwards being able to secure pre-contract agreements elsewhere in the New Year, which wouldn’t be ideal for players who are valued at a combined £27.45m by Transfermarkt.

After some major transfer activity involving Richarlison and Clement Lenglet in the last 48 hours, it appears Tottenham Hotspur could also be closing in on agreement for Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Spurs keeping busy…

Moves for the Everton striker and Barcelona’s central defender have been widely covered as Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici keeps busy in an attempt to fully back manager Antonio Conte.

Spurs are set for Conte’s first full Premier League season in charge of the club over 2022/2023 and have so far put ENIC’s £150 million equity increase to good use.

It is reliably believed that the north Londoners will continue chasing targets and aren’t finished despite a hectic last few days with news now coming to light on their attempts to sign Spence.

The Latest: Levy nearing Spence breakthrough…

Indeed, as Spurs aim to sign the exciting Middlesbrough wing-back, it appears there has been a crucial development.

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According to Football Insider, Conte’s side are ‘increasingly confident of reaching a full agreement’ to sign the 21-year-old after upping their bid closer to Boro’s £20 million asking price.

Allegedly ‘nearing a breakthrough’ after ‘new discussions’ between club chairman Daniel Levy and Steve Gibson, the report adds Tottenham are ‘close to agreeing a fee’ for Spence.

The Verdict: Potentially huge…

Right back is seemingly a major priority for Conte and Spence comes as the ideal potential addition.

Homegrown and able to balance the books in terms of the club’s overseas quota, the starlet also shined on loan at Nottingham Forest over 2021/2022 and proved vital to Steve Cooper’s promotion push.

Described as the ‘perfect player’ for Conte due to his fit on the right of a back five, he comes as a more-than-ideal choice for the role.

Sheffield Wednesday are closing in on the signing of AFC Wimbledon centre-back Ben Heneghen, reliable journalist Dom Howson has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Owls in need of reinforcements

After the disappointment of failing to get out of League One last season, it is now time for Darren Moore to focus on strengthening his squad once more.

Some individuals have moved on after their contracts expired, including Sam Hutchinson, and it could be that a new centre-back is one of the Owls’ priorities.

Wimbledon captain Heneghen is an option, in that respect, and it looks as though a move is close.

The Latest: Heneghen move close

Taking to Twitter on Monday, The Yorkshire Examiner‘s Howson claimed that Heneghen looks set to move to Wednesday imminently:

“I understand SWFC are close to finalising a deal for defender Ben Heneghan. Barring any late hitches, the deal should go through this week. Wednesday want Heneghan in in time for pre-season training, which starts next week.”

The 28 year-old has over 300 games of experience across various levels of senior football, scoring 18 goals during that time.

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The Verdict: Strong defensive addition

Heneghen could be exactly what Wednesday are after at the heart of their defence, especially after the departure of the experienced and influential Hutchinson.

At 28, the Wimbledon defender has been around for years at a good level, making 132 appearances in League One to date, but he is also at a good age in terms of being at but not past his peak.

The fact that Heneghen would come in on a free transfer is an added bonus, following the expiry of his current deal, so even if it doesn’t work out, it won’t feel like money wasted.

In other news, one player is ‘open’ to a move to Sheffield Wednesday. Find out who it is here.

Everton struggled this season following a tight relegation battle in the Premier League, and Frank Lampard must improve the squad if they want to do better next time around.

To that effect, a new Goodison Park transfer target has now been revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, the Toffees have joined the race to sign former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard, who is now a free agent.

As per the report, the attacking midfielder is a potential target for not just Everton – his former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho could try to tempt him with a move to Roma, or he could rejoin his former loan club West Ham United this summer.

Imagine him & Gordon

Everton are desperate to add new attacking threats to enhance their goalscoring opportunities following a lack of goals last season, which ultimately led to the Toffees struggling in the bottom half of the table, and signing Lingard could be a great solution to that problem ahead of next season.

The Merseyside club conceded 23 goals more than they scored in the 2021/22 Premier League, with Richarlison leading the way with 11 in all competitions. However, they will need to find a few more reliable scoring outlets if they want to break back into the top half next term.

Lingard has never been a consistent starter at Old Trafford, but during his time at his boyhood club, he has scored 35 goals and delivered 21 assists in 232 first-team appearances, with one goal contribution every 224 minutes. However, he has proven elsewhere that regular game-time enables him to offer a consistent attacking threat.

The £80k-p/w star, who was dubbed “infectious” by Manchester United legend Andy Cole, enjoyed a successful six-month loan spell at West Ham last year. He displayed his talents effectively in east London, scoring nine goals and contributing five assists in just 16 appearances, proving that he could be a very astute signing for any Premier League club this summer.

Lampard is already a huge fan of the 29-year-old and spoke out about him in 2018 on BT Sport (via The Sport Review), saying: “What I like about him is his game intelligence. You never see him linger on the ball when he doesn’t need to. He has the right amount of touches and knows when to arrive in the box at the right time.”

With that in mind, the Toffees manager could tee up a formidable attacking duo if he can secure the signing of Lingard and deploy him in the team alongside Anthony Gordon, who chipped in with seven goal contributions this term. The pair couldlink up to create more goal-scoring opportunities in the final third, ideally leading to Everton enjoying a more fruitful 2022/23 season.

AND in other news – Worse than Klassen: Journo claims Everton are now tracking “really slow” 31 y/o dud

While it is undeniable that both Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta pulled off an astonishing feat in getting Leeds United back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, since the Whites’ promotion back in 2020, the club have had something of a hit and miss record in the transfer market.

Indeed, spending just shy of £100m in the summer before their return to the top flight, Orta very much hit the jackpot with a few of his deals, with the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt undoubtedly being fantastic acquisitions by the Spanish sporting director.

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However, the same cannot be said for some of the big-money signings completed in the same window, with the likes of Rodrigo, Helder Costa, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all already having varying levels of question marks hanging over their respective futures at Elland Road.

It was a similar case last summer, with both Kristoffer Klaesson and Jack Harrison – despite the former Manchester City winger enduring something of a below-par campaign this time out – looking to be solid longer-term investments, while the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James have both struggled following their big-money moves to LS11.

However, it is undoubtedly the latter of the aforementioned players who has been the biggest transfer disappointment, with the £30m signing from Manchester United very much failing to live up to his incredibly hefty price tag.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, James has struggled to find any real level of form for the Whites, scoring four goals, registering four assists and missing eight big chances, as well as completing an average of just 9.9 passes, ceding possession of the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 39% – per game.

These returns have seen the £16.2m-rated man who Darren Bent dubbed “headless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the 24-year-old as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering the fact that the £52k-per-week forward is now worth roughly 46% less than the £30m fee Orta paid for his services last summer, in addition to the fact that the Wales international has endured an incredibly torrid season at Elland Road, it is clear for all to see that the Spaniard had a nightmare when bringing James to the club.

AND in other news: Marsch must place trust in “unbelievable” Leeds sensation, he thrives “under pressure”

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst may have been making “a dig” at the Light Blues’ board with his recent comments on the club’s finances, according to one former BBC pundit.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst’s comments

On Wednesday, the Scottish giants made their return to the Champions League after a 12-year absence.

However, to the dismay of their supporters, the Premiership side suffered a 4-0 hammering against Ajax, having conceded three goals in the first half.

After the defeat, Van Bronckhorst made a number of financial claims surrounding his Gers squad, saying: “To compete in Champions League you need hundreds of millions.

“If you look at all the squads you are facing now – Ajax and Liverpool. For us to compete with them it’s too much to ask. We want to compete but we want to compete with the squad we have and are able and capable in making. We knew it was going to be tough and that showed today.”

The Latest: Whelan’s claim

Noel Whelan, who used to work as a pundit for BBC Radio Leeds, believes that the Dutchman was having a go at the board for not giving him the budget that he feels is needed to compete at the highest level.

Speaking with Football Insider, the ex-Aberdeen striker claimed: “It might be a bit of a dig at the board. But looking across the field – they’d need a whole new team to be able to compete against Ajax.

“Man for man, you’d choose the Ajax players over the Rangers players. That’s just where they’re at. Ajax have always been a top team with a fantastic record of bringing young players through.

“Van Bronckhorst has put his hands up and admitted Rangers were up against a better side – and they will be often in the Champions League. They’ll rarely be favourites in this competition – whether that’s at home, or away.”

The Verdict: Lack of investment

Whilst Rangers were able to bring in six new additions this summer, the club failed to replace a number of high-profile exits included within their eight departures.

In July, it was announced the Light Blues had sold defender Calvin Bassey for a club-record £23m fee (ironically to Ajax). His replacement was Ben Davies, who joined from Liverpool in a deal worth just £4m.

The 27-year-old has failed to establish himself as a starter in Van Bronckhorst’s XI so far, having played just 112 minutes of football for the Gers to date.

Elsewhere, the likes of Joe Aribo were allowed to leave Ibrox without a like-for-like replacement having been secured.

Therefore, the Gers manager may be justified in his comments seemingly made towards the club’s hierarchy, as it seems that he was somewhat hung out to dry after the summer transfer window.