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Flocking to Twitter, lots of Manchester City supporters have gone wild over news coming out of Eastlands involving Bayer Leverkusen sensation Florian Wirtz.

The 18-year-old, who is now emerging as of the hottest prospects in European football, has enjoyed a stellar start to the new season, with four goals and four assists in just three Bundesliga starts (WhoScored).

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His sensational run of form has attracted attention from top Premier League clubs, and Man City appear to be one of them.

Despite the plethora of attacking midfield talent already at the Etihad Stadium, manager Pep Guardiola appears to have his sights set on another as Bild journalist Christian Falk shared news (via Sport Witness).

The German insider claimed that Guardiola has personally sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old ‘time and time again recently’ with the Sky Blues ‘very specifically’ interested among the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

As news of City’s intense interest emerges, these Sky Blues supporters have gone wild and pleaded for sporting director Txiki Begiristain and co to get a deal done, with one of them calling it the “best news” they had heard today.

Check out some of their verdicts from Twitter below.

Man City fans go wild over Wirtz news…

“Serious baller”

Credit: @emperor_teejhay

“I beg we get this done”

Credit: @McfcRobbo23

“Yes please”

Credit: @Centurion_City

“Praying”

Credit: @hipyjon

“YESSSSSSS”

Credit: @XeVeYT

“Best news I’ve read this morning”

Credit: @SatieMCFC

In other news: ‘Insanity’, ‘No way’…Man City fans erupt as Txiki sets sights on £103.5m ‘machine’ who is ‘better than Lewandowski’, find out more here.

Leeds United look set to miss out on long-term target Noussair Mazraoui, who is edging closer to a move to Bayern Munich, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

The Whites were first linked with a move for Mazraoui back in October, with reports in November then suggesting that Victor Orta was readying a move for the 24-year-old.

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As we know, a move for the versatile right-back never materialised in the January window, however, Leeds were still name-checked with an interest in Mazraoui just last month.

The Morocco international is out of contract with Ajax in a matter of months so Orta could have snapped him up for free this summer, but it doesn’t look as if Elland Road will be his next destination.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday morning, revealing that Bayern are prepared to complete a deal for Mazraoui ‘in the coming days’.

The transfer expert added that a ‘verbal agreement has been reached’ following a productive meeting with agent Mino Raiola.

The Verdict: Dest instead?

It could well be a busy summer at Elland Road in regards to incomings and outgoings, with journalist Pete O’Rourke believing the Whites will be ‘looking at a right-back’.

Barcelona’s Sergino Dest has been linked with a move to Yorkshire, a transfer that O’Rourke labelled as a possible ‘big deal’ ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

One thing we do know is that it looks extremely unlikely that Mazraoui will be joining the club, which is a blow for Orta and co, so they may decide to step up their interest in Dest as a result.

In other news: ‘Set to leave…’ – Journalist says Leeds midfielder will now quit Elland Road this summer. 

After suffering their first defeat under new manager Steven Gerrard in midweek with their 2-1 loss against Manchester City, Aston Villa welcome Leicester City to Villa Park this Sunday for their next Premier League fixture.

Ahead of the match against the Foxes, it seems as though the Villans could have a double injury boost handed to them just in time for the clash, which will have lots of fans thrilled.

What’s the news?

Speaking after the City defeat, Gerrard shed some light over the injury that Villa left-back Matt Targett picked up which forced him off the pitch in the second half against Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Villa boss revealed that the 26-year-old had “a little bit of a knock” but will “hopefully” be available for the match against Leicester, which should put to bed any concerns that some fans may have had on the defender.

Additionally, Gerrard said that they were “protecting” Jacob Ramsey by not playing him against City so that he will also “hopefully” be fit enough to feature at the weekend.

Taking this into account, it seems as though there is reason to be optimistic for everyone at Villa that Targett and Ramsey will be fit enough to play against Leicester so that they can get back to winning ways after their midweek setback.

With Gerrard set to speak to the media at some point before Sunday’s clash, lots of Villa fans will undoubtedly have their fingers crossed that the 41-year-old will have a definite answer as to whether the duo will be fit enough to play this weekend.

Having played in all but one of Villa’s Premier League games so far this season, Targett has shown how useful he is for the side. It will be a big boost for them if he’s fit enough to play on Sunday, having averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per game in the league.

Similarly with Ramsey, the 20-year-old had only missed one league game this season prior to the City match as he tries to cement himself as an important midfield option for the Villans.

Looking ahead to the clash against Leicester, with Brendan Rodgers’ side only winning one of their five previous league games, Gerrard will definitely see this as a great opportunity for his team to pick up three points, hopefully with Targett and Ramsey being able to play a part in the process.

In other news: This Villa man was an “absolute revelation” v Man City…

West Brom confirmed on Thursday morning that young wing-back Taylor Gardner-Hickman has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract.

And, as to be expected, a number of Baggies supporters have been reacting to the news on social media.

Gardner-Hickman made his senior debut against Arsenal in the EFL Cup earlier this season and has gone on to make five Championship appearances.

The wing-back, who was named Man of the Match against Coventry, has played in three different positions in four second-tier starts.

His previous contract at The Hawthorns was set to expire in 18 months time, with manager Valerien Ismael delighted at securing Gardner-Hickman’s services until 2026.

Baggies fans react

He turned 20 on Thursday, with the Baggies revealing the news on their official Twitter page.

This is what these West Brom fans had to say in reply to the contract news, with many going wild at the update and one labelling it as ‘massive’.

“Val’s done it again”

Credit: @KipreSun

“Finally a massive slice of great news.”

Credit: @Baggiephil

“COME ONNNN. TGH 2026. BRILLIANT NEWS.”

Credit: @StevoSmith0

“Now that’s some signing!”

Credit: @Albionwestand

“Massive”

Credit: @PhaseVisuals

“BIG WWWWWWWW!!! Cleary next admin?”

Credit: @__Hashar9

In other news: ‘Lost the plot’ – Many West Brom fans fume at ‘laughable’ official post. 

Leeds United return to Premier League action this afternoon with another trip down to the capital.

Marcelo Bielsa’s depleted squad were frustratingly knocked out of the FA Cup by West Ham United last weekend and will have to face them again later today.

He is faced with plenty of selection decisions as the injury crisis at Thorp Arch begins to ease up, so it will be interesting to see what sort of side he fields at the London Stadium.

Here’s our predicted XI for the Whites’ trip to east London…

There could be as many as four changes to the side that tasted defeat last Sunday.

Between the sticks, Illan Meslier is likely to remain but there’s an alteration to his back four as Diego Llorente is facing suspension. As a result, we could see Robin Koch drop back into defence to partner academy gem Leo Hjelde, who impressed despite the loss.

Bielsa is still without skipper Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk is only just returning from injury, so the 18-year-old could keep his place. Luke Ayling and Junior Firpo also remain.

In midfield, Adam Forshaw returns after being rested, as should Stuart Dallas and the pair may feature alongside Mateusz Klich.

Further up the pitch, Raphinha is a shoo-in to come back into the fold, having also been named on the bench last week. Jack Harrison may be preferred to Daniel James for the spot on the other flank.

The £52k-per-week Welshman is, therefore, axed due to his poor form in the Whites colours.

Meanwhile, in a big boost, we could see Patrick Bamford finally return from injury – as revealed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay this week, he is likely to be available for selection. If fit, you’d imagine he comes straight in given the lack of alternatives.

Predicted Leeds United XI vs West Ham (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Firpo, Hjelde, Koch, Ayling; Forshaw; Harrison, Dallas, Klich, Raphinha; Bamford

AND in other news, Phil Hay reveals triple injury boost for Leeds United…

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to some news that could have an effect on the title race, as Marko Arnautovic left West Ham’s defeat at Wolves on crutches.

Newcastle did Liverpool a huge favour on Tuesday evening, but that wasn’t the only advantage they gained in the title race on the night.

West Ham will host the Reds on Monday night, and it looks fairly certain they will be without talisman Arnautovic.

The Austrian international, who recently signed a new contract amidst talks of a move away from East London, has scored seven times in the Premier League this season, per Whoscored.

He left Molineux in crutches on Tuesday though, as confirmed by injury expert Ben Dinnery.

Football.London’s Sam Inkersole has since said the injury “isn’t as bad as initially feared” but popular insider ExWHUemployee does expect the Austrian to miss one to two weeks.

The 29 year-old joins a long list of key first team players nursing injuries, such as Fabian Balbuena, Manuel Lanzini, Jack Wilshere, Carlos Sanchez and Andriy Yarmolenko.

The Irons have conceded seven goals across their last two games in all competitions, and the Twitter reactions down below are expecting a trouncing on Monday…

With two consecutive defeats in the Premier League, pressure has started to build somewhat on Aston Villa manager Dean Smith ahead of tonight’s clash against Arsenal.

The Villans followed up an impressive 1-0 victory away at Old Trafford against Manchester United with a pair of losses against Tottenham and Wolves respectively, with the latter in particular being something of a sucker punch.

Smith’s side were leading 2-0 with just ten minutes remaining before a late collapse saw them concede three goals and somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The 50-year-old may duly look to change things up for the clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium tonight, and with that in mind, below is a look at how Villa might line up in north London.

In goal, Emi Martinez will be hoping to keep a clean sheet on his return to the Emirates, having shut the Gunners out twice last season in the Premier League as Villa pulled off the double over his former club.

Smith may opt to go with a back four against Arsenal, having seen his experiment with a back three being picked apart by Spurs and Wolves, and that could see Axel Tuanzebe drop out, as we discussed in detail.

The midfield could also see a tweak, with Jacob Ramsey in line for a start to try and match up with what Arsenal may deploy in the engine room.

Further forward, Leon Bailey’s return to fitness could see him make the starting line-up if Smith feels that he’s shown enough in training to prove his fitness. That could see the Villa boss make the bold call of dropping Ollie Watkins, who has been in poor form in recent weeks, with just one goal all season.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey; Buendia, Ings, Bailey.

Meanwhile, here’s why Villa must start this £7.2m-rated ace v Arsenal…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now dropped a claim involving Newcastle United and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund.

The Lowdown: FFP thoughts

Of course, with the riches that the consortium possess, they will have to have one eye on Financial Fair Play (FFP) before they start splashing the cash in the summer.

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The St James’ Park club had already spent around £90m on five signings in the January transfer window, but The Daily Telegraph have reported that the owners have ruled out making ‘expensive superstar signings’ when the summer market opens.

They want ‘room for manoeuvre’ under FFP regulations, but that does not mean they won’t spend a lot of money providing that the club can stay within the parameters.

The Latest: Jones reacts to PIF/FFP development

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has now claimed that PIF will put FFP in the back of their minds if an ‘amazing’ transfer opportunity comes up for Newcastle over the summer.

He stated: “They’ve always got that ability to land big signings based on the fact that their budget is almost limitless.

“I know people talk about FFP, but to be honest, that’s something they’ll think about further along the line if an amazing opportunity crops up.”

The Verdict: Exciting for Newcastle fans

It is certainly exciting for the Toon Army that it seems as if PIF will look to spend big this summer.

Newcastle have already been linked with some star names like Kalvin Phillips, Jarrod Bowen and Victor Osimhen, so if they can bring in a few players to strengthen their starting XI, then the Tynesiders can well and truly kick off their long-term project.

Nonetheless, they will need to comply with FFP rules, but everything appears to be pointing towards a busy summer for the Magpies on the transfer front.

In other news, find out what could be the ‘best money’ that NUFC have ‘ever spent’

Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Martin Boyle to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Times (via the Glasgow Evening Times), who claim that Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side are keeping a very close eye on the Hibernian winger ahead of a potential swoop this month.

The report goes on to state that Hibs will demand a fee in the region of £3m in order to part with the 28-year-old, with a number of Middle Eastern clubs also reported to be keen on the Australia international.

Speaking about Boyle earlier this season, Postecoglou said: “I know Martin really well. I was pretty pleased when he chose to play for Australia because there was a bit of an arm wrestle when it came to who he was going to play for.

“He’s done really well for the national team so I’m well aware of him. He’s a good player and it’s not easy playing for Australia. Unlike other national teams, he’s got to do long-haul travel and getting back to this part of the world isn’t easy. So he’s handled that really well.”

Postecoglou could repeat Stokes masterclass

Considering just how impressive Boyle has been for Hibs so far this season, it is unsurprising to learn of Postecoglou’s interest in the forward – particularly considering the pair’s link via the Australian national side.

Indeed, over his 19 Premiership outings in the current campaign, the £2.25m-rated man has already scored a very respectable seven goals, registered three assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Neil Lennon dubbed an “outstanding” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Hibs’ best performer in the top flight of Scottish football this term.

As such, considering his impressive eye for goal and the fact he plays his football at Easter Road, Potecoglou could go on to replicate Celtic’s masterclass of the £1.31m signing of Anthony Stokes back in 2010 – a player who went on to score a whopping 76 goals and provide 64 assists over just 192 appearances for the Bhoys.

Indeed, should Celtic manage to prise Boyle away from Hibs this January, we would not bet against the winger having a similar impact to that of the former Republic of Ireland international, with the 28-year-old appearing to be a superb candidate to add further depth to the Bhoys’ wide attacking options ahead of the second half of the season.

In other news: Big twist emerges in Celtic transfer pursuit, Postecoglou will be buzzing

Aston Villa midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka isn’t any closer to signing a new deal at Villa Park.

That’s according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, with a number of supporters unhappy at the news on social media.

The 18-year-old’s current contract runs until 2023, however, he hasn’t featured in the last seven Premier League games following his full debut against Brentford back in August.

Dean Smith had an ideal opportunity to hand Chukwuemeka more top-flight minutes during the 4-1 defeat to West Ham on Sunday.

Fellow youngster Jacob Ramsey had to be replaced following a collision with Tomas Soucek, however, Smith opted for versatile wing-back Ashley Young from the bench over Chukwuemeka, a more natural midfielder.

Evans claimed in a story on Wednesday that the teenage attacking midfielder is no closer to penning new terms in the Midlands, labelling it as ‘no surprise’.

Villa fans react

@villareport relayed Evans’ claim on Chukwuemeka on Twitter on Wednesday. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many placing the blame on the club and not the player and one labelling it as ‘disappointing’.

“Sigh what is happening to my club”

Credit: @utvaidan

“hate this club”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Thanks for ruining my day”

Credit: @avfcdannn

“This is disappointing and we need to get Chuk signed up asap. Such a talent.”

Credit: @reel_villan

“Don’t blame him a single bit. For some reason he was sitting on the bench the whole game when we needed a CM sub in the first half, when we subbed on a 37 year old wing back on instead of Carney.”

Credit: @rico_chong

“If we lose him bc of Smiths inability to make good subs, I will change sport entirely”

Credit: @JoeAVFC_

“No positive news coming out of the club at the minute!”

Credit: @JamieDorman96

“This isn’t good”

Credit: @DomTheOmnic

In other news: ‘Source close to him has told us’ – Sky Sports drop news involving manager contacted by Villa.