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Aston Villa have been handed a major boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham, with Bertrand Traore set to be fit for action.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans confirmed via his official Twitter account that Traore is on painkillers and should be available to play against Spurs – this followed on comments from Dean Smith about the Burkina Faso international.

Speaking about the 25-year-old in his pre-match press conference, the Villa manager said: “He got a whack in the rib when he took a tumble over the billboards at Newcastle and was in a lot of pain.

“He went to hospital but thankfully there is no bleed and he’s just had painkillers for it so he should be available on Sunday.”

Dubbed an “immense talent” by Smith, Traore hasn’t really set Villa Park alight with his performances this season, and has been fairly streaky with his form – after going on a run of four goals and an assist in six Premier League games over the course of December and January, the winger has found the back of the net just once in his last ten top-flight matches.

Despite the lack of end product recently, Traore remains the kind of player who can create a moment of magic out of nothing, and has been one of Villa’s most potent creative forces this season.

As per Whoscored, the winger’s average of 1.5 shots and 1.2 key passes per game in the Premier League ranks him fifth in both categories among all Villa players.

His performance against Newcastle earlier this calendar year was particularly impressive, and starkly showed the kind of devastating impact he can when things are going well for him.

It’s exactly why Smith will surely be buzzing at the positive injury update on the £55,000-a-week earning Traore, and why once again he will be counting on the Burkina Faso native to try and conjure a piece of brilliance against Spurs today.

Meanwhile, Villa should unleash this academy talent…

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial’s barren run in front of goal stretched to three games as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side could only muster a draw against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

The Red Devils may have earned an emphatic victory had Martial taken his chances, but the Frenchman had little influence on the game as his finishing let him down.

With five minutes of normal time remaining, it seemed the French striker, who cost £36m from Monaco in 2015, had a genuine chance to break the deadlock.

But, he failed to do just that after blasting his shot wide from range, before watching in horror as Sociedad came close through Martin Merquelanz.

Fortunately for Solskjaer, his side still managed to book their place in the last 16 of the Europa League by beating Sociedad 4-0 on aggregate, but he will be disappointed that Martial was unable to convert any of his chances against the Spanish outfit after drawing yet another blank to compound his misery even further.

He was once again at fault as United could only manage four shots on target against the two-time La Liga champions at Old Trafford.

Although he accounted for at least one of those four efforts, he ranked as one of their worst players on the night, receiving a low 6.8 rating as per SofaScore.

While only Bruno Fernandes would attempt the same number of shots as Martial, he could only win three of six duels on the ground (50%), which was the third-lowest of any starter for United, via SofaScore.

By comparison, even Mason Greenwood still managed to win four out of his six ground duels, which shows he posed a greater counter-attacking threat than his older teammate.

If that weren’t bad enough, Martial also lost possession ten times, meaning he lost control of the ball every 4.3 touches, again proving to be a total liability at the top of the pitch. Greenwood, on the other hand, would only lose possession on two fewer occasions.

Reports claim the 25-year-old’s position is under serious threat with the club concerned by his recent poor run of form.

Writing in The Athletic, Alan Shearer recently criticised the Frenchman, noting ‘last season was his best in terms of numbers, but he’s never scored more than 20 league goals in a campaign and I just don’t see the desperation, the hunger, desire and know-how to be a No 9, to score as many goals as he should.’

Given Edinson Cavani’s recent injury, Solskjaer has been hard-pressed to find a like-for-like replacement for the Uruguayan international, but with a Premier League clash with Chelsea on the cards, he really ought to think twice before giving Martial another chance.

AND in other news, Man Utd’s Eric Bailly was superb against Real Sociedad in the Europa League…

Paul Scholes has begged Jack Grealish to leave Aston Villa and sign for Manchester United – a signing that would prove to be brilliant for the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have long been linked with a move for the attacker but as yet, a move has not come to fruition.

Now, former Red Devils midfielder Scholes has appealed to the 25-year-old that “he needs to get out” of Villa Park and as the calls for a move get louder, it only makes sense for the United to make a move.

First and foremost, Grealish is a fantastic player, a statement that his statistics prove.

The Villa captain is currently in the midst of his most productive top-flight campaign so far, having scored six goals and provided 12 assists.

It could even be argued that his numbers should be even better with the three-time England international contributing two shots and 3.2 key passes per game in all competitions this season, according to WhoScored.

His importance to Villa is emphasised even more when considering he has directly been involved in 47% of their Premier League goals throughout 2020/21, a huge reason why the Villans have managed to drag themselves way clear of any relegation dogfight.

Of course, with better players around him such as Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, his output would surely rise even more.

Any move for Grealish would not be cheap, though. He still has over four years left to run on his most recent contract at Villa Park, whilst he is also rated at £45m.

Having kept a close eye on the player’s development in his time at the club, Dean Smith will also be desperate to keep Grealish, having recently waxed lyrical about his ‘super-high level’.

He would certainly bring a different dimension to the Manchester United attack and that’s why Ed Woodward, Solskjaer and Grealish should all listen to Scholes’ advice and ensure that the midfielder gets to Old Trafford sooner rather than later.

It would give United another excellent forward player and give Grealish a chance to shine at one of the world’s biggest clubs, a chance he has more than earned.

And in more news, take a look at how we rated Edinson Cavani’s dreadful performance against Crystal Palace…

Liverpool’s woes in front of goal continued as they played out a stalemate with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

One player who will have disappointed Jurgen Klopp with his display was Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Dutch international, who is widely expected to leave Anfield in the summer when his contract expires, put in an uncharacteristically poor display against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

As per SofaScore, the former Newcastle United man earned a 6.5 rating for his performance, marking him as the worst Liverpool player of all of those who started the game.

The 30-year-old midfielder was limited to just 63 touches of the ball against United and completed 38/45 passes, resulting in a solid, if unspectacular, 84% pass success rate. However, this was lower than his season average of 88.6%, suggesting that his passing was below his usual standards against the Red Devils.

He also lost possession on 12 occasions and won just five out of 13 total duels, resulting in a success rate of just 38%, suggesting that the United midfielders had the better of him on a number of occasions.

For example, Scott McTominay won 11/15 of his duels during the game and earned an impressive 7.3 rating, suggesting that he was the more impressive of the two midfielders at Anfield on Sunday.

In Wijnaldum’s last Premier League appearance against Southampton, he lost possession on just four occasions and won four out of eight total duels, suggesting that his performance against Manchester United was way below his usual standards.

Back in 2019, Klopp had this to say about the Dutch midfielder:

“Is he the perfect midfielder? From the skillset 100 per cent. He has all the things you need.”

However, his performance against United was far from perfect and you worry that as exit rumours continue to grow, the midfielder may not be fully focussed on Liverpool, which may lead to disappointing performances in the future.

It will be interesting to see if the 30-year-old is selected from the start in Liverpool’s next game, when they take on Burnley at Anfield on Thursday.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign his next Coutinho at LFC in 26 y/o who scores and assists

David Moyes would face serious headaches at West Ham United with a successful move to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, the Irons are pushing plans to lure Edouard to the London Stadium in the club’s search for a replacement for Sebastien Haller.

Edouard is seen to tick all of the boxes that the London Stadium outfit are targeting in the mid-season market, after Moyes had the Frenchman scouted on several occasions.

West Ham believe Edouard has the potential to flourish south of the border, but face paying as much as £35m to seal a deal for the striker Celtic signed from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain for just £10m in 2018.

Edouard is thought to be desperate to test himself in the Premier League after scoring 72 goals in 151 games for the Hoops across all competitions, and he also has his eyes set on a move to London.

But the 23-year-old would prefer to sign for an established top-six club and while north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal are keen, neither are prepared to consider launching raids on Parkhead until the summer.

Reports by talkSPORT have also put Leicester City forward as an interested party after Brendan Rodgers’ time working with Edouard at Celtic, and claim the striker may be available for just £20m as he has 18-months remaining on his contract.

Edouard is reluctant to put pen to paper on new terms for his Scottish Premiership powerhouse, who the Daily Star believe are now ready to cash-in as a result if the right offer comes their way.

Should West Ham sign Edouard?

With Haller’s departure leaving Michail Antonio as Moyes’ only recognised senior striker, the Irons are certainly in need of forward cover in the winter market but must pursue any interest in Edouard with caution.

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton recently suggested Edouard’s form has deteriorated this season as a result of the speculation over his future, with the former U21 international going from a goal every 102 minutes in the Premiership last season to one every 151 minutes this term.

“We had all the talk about Edouard at the start of season wanting to leave – has his head been on it? Has he been the same player that he was last year? No,” Hutton told Football Insider. “We see moments of brilliance, but not of the impact of last season.”

Beyond that, former Rangers midfielder Ian McGarry has claimed Edouard has looked “unhappy” this season and that sides will soon start to feel he is not as good as he thinks he is, as the 23-year-old has failed to rediscover his form.

There are also the claims that Edouard favours a transfer to an established top-six club, so accepting a move to West Ham would only see him use the Irons as a stepping stone and one that Ian McGarry, while speaking on the Transfer Window Podcast, believes he has no interest in playing for.

Edouard may have scored freely in recent years for Celtic and has the world at his feet at 23, but will he solve West Ham’s offensive issues? That remains to be seen, as the view from Scotland would suggest the Frenchman would only prove to be a headache for Moyes.

AND in other news, West Ham consider January bid for “phenomenal” striker boasting 15 goals in 19 games.

Leeds United have been linked to many a rising star over the years, particularly in their lead up to their Championship winning season. Some deals have come off whilst others have fallen short of the mark, with Todd Cantwell being one name that the Whites missed out on.

However, now the hype around the versatile playmaker has died down, Victor Orta can look back with hindsight that he made the right decision by not signing the Norwich City ace.

Leeds right to snub Todd Cantwell transfer

If there’s one thing that Marcelo Bielsa would benefit from in his current squad, it’s more creativity in the middle of the park. And whilst the 22-year-old looked a man to solve this issue, his dip in form this season says otherwise.

Although Cantwell was, and arguably still is, viewed as one of England’s hottest prospects, his return of just one assist in his last 15 appearances for Norwich leaves a lot to be desired. Considering the fact that the Canaries are currently top of the Championship and stand a good chance of promotion, the England youth international isn’t as clinical as he was in the Premier League.

Cantwell attracted a lot of attention during his rise to England’s top flight. His ability to play on either wing plus in the heart of the midfield turned a lot of heads, alongside his keen vision and skill on the ball. His former youth coach Gary Cockaday lauded him as being able to pull things off that were “god-given”, in an interview last year with The Athletic.

Whilst he is still an impressive talent, his recent form is no different to that of Adam Forshaw. The forgotten Leeds midfielder hasn’t featured for his club since last season due to suffering a hip injury. But before he was sidelined, the 29-year-old seldom contributed a goal or assist.

In his 52 appearances for the Whites, he has managed just two assists (via Transfermarkt). Had Leeds moved for Cantwell, who is valued at £18million, they would just be wasting money on a player too similar to Forshaw.

In other news, Orta must sign off on William Saliba January loan move…

Mike Ashley could land Newcastle United their next Allan Saint-Maximin by signing Independiente sensation Alan Velasco in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to El Intransigente, the Magpies are one of a number of potential suitors monitoring Velasco’s situation in the mid-season market, with Parma and Club America providing worldwide competition for the 18-year-old.

Parma are intent on striking a winter deal for the left-winger, as they consider the Argentina U17 international as a weapon who can aid their efforts in securing European qualification after re-establishing themselves as a Serie A side.

Velasco is seen to be one of Argentina’s great jewels after proving his enormous potential at a tender age, having become a staple of Lucas Pusineri’s side in 2020, though Independiente accept it is only a matter of time before he leaves the Estadio Libertadores de America.

Independiente would prefer to retain the diminutive 5 ft 5 forward, who is protected by a $23.5m (£17.5m) release clause, but accept that his sale would help solve several issues with the club facing Fifa-imposed lawsuits for non-compliance with transfer payments.

Velasco provided each of his career three goals and three assists in senior football last year, while Independiente never lost when the Quilmes-born attacker influenced the scoreline.

Bruce’s next Saint-Maximin

Mike Ashley providing the funds needed for Independiente to consider selling Velasco in the January market could see the Newcastle owner hand Steve Bruce the Toon’s next Saint-Maximin, having seen the St. James’ Park natives struggle without the Frenchman.

Saint-Maximin has not featured for United since November after testing positive for coronavirus and remains some weeks away from a return, much to Bruce’s frustration.

“We’re missing him at the moment. He’s had an up and down time, he needs to find that consistency like we all do, if he really wants to hit the heights. When he is on song there is no better sight is there? He gets you on the edge of your seat,” Bruce told the Chronicle.

Velasco could be the one to bring the same level of excitement to St. James’ Park if signed, having proved a creative wonder in South America to warrant vivid transfer interest from Europe.

The youth international made seven of his appearances in the 2020 Copa Sudamericana, in which he also contributed one of his three goals and two of his assists thanks to creating an average 2.9 chances a game with 1.5 shots and 1.4 key passes, per SofaScore.

He additionally offered 15.8 of his 19.9 total passes a game in the opponent’s half, plus 1.1 successful tackles, 1.0 interceptions, 3.0 successful dribbles and wining 5.3 ground duels, with opponents forced into committing 1.1 fouls a game.

Velasco may be small and relatively unknown in England, but may prove the old cliché of the best things coming in small packages true with a successful move to St. James’ Park this winter.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce is keen to sign a “fantastic” £15.5m-rated brute for Newcastle United.

Everton, as well as Spurs, reportedly sent offers to sign Kurt Zouma from Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness).

As per the news outlet, both off their offers were rejected by Frank Lampard’s team, and thus he has remained at Stamford Bridge for the 2020/21 term.

Zouma apparently would not have looked unfavourably at moving to either club too, but the Blues were demanding nearly €45m (£40.4m) for his services anyway.

Chelsea snubbed offers for Zouma last summer too

Indeed, Chelsea reportedly snubbed offers for Zouma in the 2019/20 summer transfer window, with Lampard not wanting to sell his ‘fantastic’ asset.

The France international spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Goodison Park from Stamford Bridge and it is safe to say that he did well, winning 4.8 of his duels per game in the Premier League as well as averaging 3.8 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and one tackle a match, keeping no fewer than 10 clean sheets in the process (Sofascore).

Perhaps it is not a surprise then that Carlo Ancelotti’s side went back in for him this summer.

Should Everton have signed Zouma?

In hindsight, it may not have been a wise idea for the Merseyside club to sign Zouma if they were already going to bring in Ben Godfrey from Norwich City as well.

However, if the 26 year-old was their prime target, then there it no doubt that he would have been a good signing for the Toffees.

Not only would the Blues have stolen him from a top-flight rival, but given his previous exploits at Goodison Park, the central defender would have had no problems settling into life on Merseyside again.

In other news, find out which Everton target shone on international duty here!

West Brom have seen many of their youth products burst onto the scene under Slaven Bilic since his appointment last year.

The likes of Kyle Edwards, Rekeem Harper and Dara O’Shea are all extremely well thought of by the Baggies boss, as was Nathan Ferguson before he swapped the Hawthorns for Crystal Palace, who he is yet to feature for.

But forget about all those for just one second, there’s one player who could be the next to breakthrough at Albion.

The Midlands outfit recently named an exceedingly strong side to face Sunderland in the Premier League 2 this week, giving game time to Charlie Austin, Kamil Grosicki and Matty Phillips, who would all be considered experienced first-team pros.

Despite the heavy-influence of many of Bilic’s senior squad, U23 boss Richard Stevens was still able to name some of his promising prospects, namely Aksum White, who delivered at right-back once again.

The 20-year-old provided the assist for the first strike of Grosicki’s brace, making it two from six starts in the youth competition.

Intriguingly, he’s showing major characteristics of the aforementioned Ferguson as he has also featured in central defence, the position at which the fellow 20-year-old began his career in before moving to the right.

White was also part of the squad that made history by making the FA Youth Cup semi-finals last season. He even lauded following their season-opener against arch-rivals Villa earlier in the season.

BirminghamLive graded his display 7/10, and claimed: “A very disciplined showing, in terms of his positioning. No nonsense tackling on the right side of defence to avert the danger.”

This merely reinforces how the West Brom staff rate him as he’s described as a “strong full-back” and “is a hard-working player who loves defending,” as per the official website.

The very fact that he has been given a senior squad number for the season (#47) tells you that there’s a chance he could feature in the first-team at some point.

White could well be the second-coming of Ferguson, no one knew who he was until Bilic handed him his debut, so you can forget about O’Shea on the right. Let him play through the middle with the marauding U23 workhorse there to battle Darnell Furlong instead.

AND in other news, West Brom nightmare over ex-academy sensation made worse by Aston Villa…

West Ham United owners David Gold and David Sullivan overlooked the answer to David Moyes’ centre-back hunt this summer after failing to sign Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.

The Hammers were linked with a move for the towering 6 ft 5 sensation by the Daily Mail towards the end of September after failing in their efforts to lure one of St Etienne’s Wesley Fofana or Burnley’s James Tarkowski to the London Stadium.

It was proposed that an offer of £20million could be tabled for Milenkovic, who has previously been tracked by some of Europe’s elite including Manchester United but doubt already stood that GSB’s offering may not have met the Serie A outfit’s valuation.

Ultimately, West Ham did not sign the 22-year-old Serbia international and ended the international market without landing a centre-half to solve Moyes’ need for greater depth in the role, leaving efforts now focused on acquiring a late arrival from the Championship before October 16.

Moyes had made landing a new central defender a key priority for the east London club this summer and would have been frustrated to see Milenkovic thrive on Thursday night for Serbia as Ljubisa Tumbakovic’s men edged past Norway 2-1 after extra-time.

Milenkovic started the affair as the right-hand option of a three-man backline as he picked up his 21st senior international cap, and stood out compared to his defensive colleagues Stefan Mitrovic and Aleksandar Kolarov.

The Fiorentina mainstay – who has started and played the full 90 minutes in each of his side’s three league fixtures to date – registered an astounding 90 touches in Serbia’s European Championship Play-Off victory to book a date with Scotland to decide who reaches next year’s postponed tournament.

Milenkovic put his vast time in possession to good use on Thursday night with 69 accurate passes from 75 attempts, including six of eight long balls, while standing up defensively with five clearances, two interceptions, three tackles, and he won 10 duels via a mix of four out of five ground battles and six out of 11 aerial contests, per SofaScore.

Mitrovic, on the other hand, had far less to show for his efforts in the centre of the backline with just one clearance, tackle, block and interception plus just two ground duels won and two aerial duels attempted over the 120-minute affair.

With West Ham still needing a new centre-half, Gold and Sullivan must unearth a gem from the Championship to make up for missing out on Milenkovic.

AND in other news, West Ham could land David Moyes’ ideal defensive partner for Angelo Ogbonna in a Championship talent his current side landed for £4m.