The Shield leaders had been in trouble but end the opening day on a high
AAP21-Feb-2023A fourth Sheffield Shield century from wicketkeeper Josh Inglis ensured Tasmania’s gamble to send Western Australia in to bat failed to pay day-one dividends at Bellerive Oval.Western Australia were bowled out minutes before stumps for 300, but Inglis held the innings together after the visitors’ much-vaunted top-order slipped to 4 for 110.Inglis was the penultimate wicket to fall, caught behind off Jackson Bird for 116 off just 134 balls.Related
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At stumps, Tasmania were 1 for 5 with Caleb Jewell failing to survive the three overs before the close when he was caught behind.Tasmania are one of four teams sharing second spot and eyeing a ticket to next month’s final, with the decider almost certain to be hosted by runaway leaders Western Australia.Tasmania’s aggressive approach paid early dividends with the Shield’s leading scorer, Cameron Bancroft, falling victim to a superb Tim Paine catch behind the stumps off the bowling of Bird for just 1.There were steady contributions in the top half of the WA order from Sam Whiteman (40), Teague Wyllie (28) and Hilton Cartwright (56).WA went to tea after a rain-impacted middle session at a relatively precarious 5 for 184, but Inglis scored with regularity until his late dismissal with the last four wickets adding 80 valuable runs.
Rashford has been on loan at Aston Villa and faces an uncertain summer with seemingly little chance of returning to Old Trafford.
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Rashford linked with Barcelona moveEngland forward has done well at VillaGary Pallister says he can restore former valuationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Manchester United legend Gary Pallister has backed Marcus Rashford to become a player worth £100m again but admitted the England forward may not get a move to Barcelona because of the La Liga giants' financial issues.
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Rashford made the loan switch to Villa in January after confirming his desire to leave United and try something different. He has scored four goals and supplied five assists for Unai Emery's side since, though he hasn't played in almost a month due to a hamstring problem. The 27-year-old also has a reported interest in joining Barcelona, though there are concerns his considerable £350,000-a-week wages could block any potential summer move from materialising.
WHAT PALLISTER SAID
Pallister told William Hill: "Barcelona is a great football club, they are a top team for any player. They have had financial problems, so they may find it difficult to sign Rashford in the summer. But it will also depend on whether Aston Villa decide to buy him permanently.
"He was a £100m player a few years ago, so his valuation has dropped a lot. But there is a player in there, and if he can return to that form, he can go back to being worth that amount."
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Rashford's current contract with United isn't due to expire until 2028 and the Red Devils would be keen to sell the England international if possible, with INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe undertaking a number of unpopular cost-cutting measures since arriving at Old Trafford.
Arsenal are ready to open negotiations with an elite club over signing a big-name striker, as Mikel Arteta’s side also plan an eight-figure bid to secure his services ahead of the 2025/2026 Premier League campaign.
Arsenal planning to sign striker this summer
Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have left Arteta desperately short of striking options, even if they managed to cope well against PSV Eindhoven with a record-breaking 7-1 victory in the Champions League on Tuesday.
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The Spaniard is already planning for next season.
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There are suggestions that Jesus may not return for Arsenal until 2026, given the severity of his ACL rupture, while Havertz is set to miss the rest of this current campaign after tearing his hamstring in Dubai.
Man Utd (away)
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Chelsea (home)
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If Arsenal are to mount a more successful title challenge next term, then acquiring a prolific centre-forward could be imperative. It has even been reported that Arsenal could look to sign two new strikers this summer, with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko both high on their list of targets.
Elsewhere, Juventus forward Dušan Vlahović remains a player of interest to Arteta’s side, especially with his £313,000-per-week contract expiring next year.
Thiago Motta could be forced to cash-in on his chief goal-getter for a low fee, if Juve don’t manage to agree fresh terms with the Serbian, which would be a real shame for the Old Lady even if his seismic salary must be a drain on the wage bill.
Juventus' DusanVlahovicshoots
The 25-year-old earns an extraordinary rumoured amount when compared to salaries at other Serie A sides, and he’d perhaps need to take a pay-cut if he were to join Arsenal, considering Havertz is their highest-paid player on £280,000-per-week right now.
That being said, in terms of a club-to-club fee, Vlahovic’s price tag wouldn’t exactly break the bank, and Arsenal already have a valuation in mind.
Arsenal ready to open talks for Dušan Vlahović in potential £25m bid
According to journalist Massimo Pavan, writing for Tutto Juve, Arsenal are ready to open talks with Juve for Vlahovic.
It is also believed that a £25 million bid from the Gunners “could be on the table”, and while Juve would want more than that to sell this summer, a figure even close to this number would be deemed good value for money.
Vlahovic has bagged 14 goals in all competitions so far this campaign, including four in the Champions League, and against top-quality opposition like Man City. His best season to date came during the 2021/2022 season, where he netted 29 in total at both Fiorentina and Juve.
He could be an astute option for Arteta if they can bring his salary down, and Arsenal intend to take full advantage of Juve’s failed talks to extend Vlahovic’s contract.
“I’ve been saying it for a long time. He’s strong, massive, he fills up front, he’s a reference, he’s a ‘left-footer’ full of courage,” said ex-Juve star Roberto Boninsegna. “A good centre-forward.”
What a week it has been for Manchester United’s number nine, Rasmus Hojlund. You wait so long for a goal, and two come along in quick succession.
The Danish speedster had endured a dismal 21-game goal drought prior to finally getting on the scoresheet again on Sunday evening away at Leicester City, with the struggling striker showcasing remarkable composure to slot home on his weaker right foot against the relegation-threatened Foxes.
Just days on from that long-awaited goal, the 22-year-old leapt off the bench to clinch victory for his country against Portugal on Thursday night, the former Atalanta man condemning Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Cristiano Ronaldo to a 1-0 defeat in their Nations League quarter-final clash.
While a return of nine goals this season for club and country makes for grim reading for the £64m signing, he has helped to lift the pressure on his shoulders this week, not least with 17-year-old sensation, Chido Obi, waiting in the wings for a starting berth back at Old Trafford.
Player
Games
Goals
Assists
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
53
29
10
Romelu Lukaku
96
42
12
Odion Ighalo
23
5
1
Edinson Cavani
59
19
6
Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)
54
27
5
Wout Weghorst
31
2
3
Anthony Martial
317
90
46
Rasmus Hojlund
82
24
4
That youthful pairing are currently vying to be Ruben Amorim’s main man through the middle, with the Portuguese coach still no doubt looking to find his next goalscoring talisman, in the mould of Sporting CP’s, Viktor Gyokeres.
Man Utd's interest in Viktor Gyokeres
There is an argument to be made that Amorim has found his new attacking, Gyokeres-like figurehead in the form of Bruno Fernandes, although for all the playmaker’s brilliance, there is still a need for United to acquire a reliable, prolific presence to lead the line.
Indeed, in 82 games for the Red Devils to date, Hojlund has scored just 24 goals, while young Obi is still waiting to break his first-team duck, albeit while having made just four senior appearances. Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, has scored just six times in his new surroundings.
With that in mind, it is then no surprise that the signing of a new centre-forward appears high on the agenda, with journalist Florian Plettenberg only recently naming the aforementioned Gyokeres among a raft of targets that Amorim and co are looking at.
The Swedish goal machine has been a revelation in Portugal since arriving from Coventry City for just £17m back in 2023, having notably scored 66 goals in just 68 games under Amorim’s watch.
Unsurprisingly, ever since the new United boss made the move to England, there has been talk of a reunion. However, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reported back in February that while Sporting could cash in for around €70m (£59m), it is ‘unlikely’ that the 26-year-old follows his former boss to Manchester.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokerescelebrates after the match
As per Whitwell, the one-time Brighton and Hove Albion man is likely to want to join a team competing in the Champions League – something United, currently, won’t be able to offer – while the club themselves may have reservations, amid the pursuit of ‘younger signings’.
While there may be frustration at not handing Amorim the perfect attacking tool in Gyokeres, perhaps the Red Devils are already brewing the next version of the Swede…
Man Utd's own Gyokeres
As two towering, Scandinavian marksmen like Gyokeres, it could be argued that both Hojlund and Obi are primed to evolve into that type of figure for Amorim, provided they are given time to develop.
That said, there could well be another, more suitable option in the equation, in the form of academy star, Ethan Wheatley, with the 19-year-old also a “clinical finisher”, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson.
As per Mattinson, the promising Englishman possesses a lot of the “typical hold-up, link-up and channel running” that Gyokeres has shown at Sporting, while he is also deemed to be a “closer fit” to the former Coventry man than fellow youth star, Gabriele Biancheri.
Currently out on loan at League Two highflyers Walsall – for whom he has actually made just three appearances since arriving in January – Wheatley has previously dazzled in the youth set-up at United, scoring ten times in just 22 U21 outings.
The Stockport native – who, like Gyokeres, stands at 6 foot 2 – was also previously the star of the U18 side, after netting 14 goals in 28 games at that age group.
While it hasn’t worked out so far during Wheatley’s temporary stint away from Old Trafford, he did score for England’s U19 side against Wales in midweek, having also been awarded a new long-term contract with United earlier this month.
That show of faith by the club has indicated how highly regarded the teenager is at Carrington, with the rising star already making four first-team appearances for his parent club, including a late cameo in the 4-2 win over Leicester in the EFL Cup back in October.
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With Amorim having already shown his willingness to utilise the academy in recent weeks, amid the emergence of Obi and Harry Amass, United’s 250th graduate may still have hope of forcing his way into the senior reckoning next season.
Who knows, Wheatley could even prove himself to be the 40-year-old’s next Gyokeres.
Amorim's next Gyokeres: Man Utd plotting move to sign "the new Haaland"
Manchester United are still targeting a striker to hand Ruben Amorim with the firepower he craves.
Opener makes 91 out of 222 as Tremain, White share nine wickets for Northants
ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2023Northamptonshire 117 (Quinn 4-25, Stewart 3-6) and 47 for 2 trail Kent 222 (Crawley 91, Tremain 5-44, White 4-57) by 58 runsZak Crawley hit 91 to leave Kent in a strong position at the end of day two in their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Northamptonshire at Canterbury. The visitors were reduced to 47 for two in their second innings, still trailing by 58 at stumps.Crawley was by some distance the top scorer in a game otherwise dominated by the bowlers. Chris Tremain took five for 44 and Jack White four for 57 as Kent were all out for 222, while earlier Matt Quinn took 4 for 25 as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 117 in their first innings.Only 26 overs were bowled on day one and although the weather had improved drastically when Northamptonshire resumed on 89 for seven, batting didn’t seem any easier as Quinn struck with the second ball of the morning, getting James Sales lbw for five.Gareth Berg went down fighting, hitting three successive fours off Michael Hogan and he put on 32 with Tremain, but the highest partnership of the innings ended when Quinn had the latter caught behind for 9. With his next delivery Quinn bowled White for a golden duck, leaving Berg stranded on 21.Kent’s openers Ben Compton and Crawley put on 42 for the first wicket, but the former was caught behind for 25, leaving the hosts on 50 for one at lunch.The Spitfires advanced to 90 for one when Tremain revived the visitors with two wickets in three balls.Daniel Bell-Drummond fell for 27 to a steepling catch by Josh Cobb at short fine leg and Joe Denly was lbw for a second-ball duck.Crawley steered Kent into the lead and reverse-swept Rob Keogh to reach 49, before pulling the same bowler to backward square leg for three to reach his half-century, but White then responded with two quick wickets.Jack Leaning was lbw for 26 before Jordan Cox edged the third ball he faced down the leg side to Lewis McManus for five.Kent had moved to 192 for five at tea and Crawley looked set to reach three figures when he misjudged a Tremain delivery and Berg took a dolly in the covers. Joey Evison then edged White behind for five and Grant Stewart was caught behind off Tremain for a four-ball duck.With just the tail to bat with, Sam Billings hit out. He was dropped in the deep by Tremain off White and smashed the next ball back over White’s head for six, before he fell in hideous fashion to Tremain, the ball catching the toe of his raised bat before it looped to McManus. Hogan was dropped in the slips off the next ball and he cracked the four that steered the Kent lead past three figures before the innings was concluded when White had Quinn lbw for 2.Quinn had Ricardo Vasconcelos caught by a leaping Compton for four and Evison had Sam Whiteman caught behind for 12, but mildly farcical scenes ensued as the floodlights came on at 7pm, with batters Hassan Azad and Luke Procter apparently keen to leave the field.After a lengthy discussion in the middle, play continued with Kent bowling their spinners Leaning and Denly for an over each, but no further wickets fell.
Former Wrexham boss Dean Saunders says he was amazed to see the Hollywood stars arrive in Wales but says they must spend big again this summer.
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Wrexham will play in Championship next seasonClub's owners urged to spend this summerNeed to build a competitive teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Reynolds and McElhenney have helped Wrexham rise from the National League into the Championship following their takeover of the club. The Welsh side are now just one step away from playing in the Premier League after achieving back-to-back-to-back promotions.
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Former Wrexham manager Dean Saunders has admitted he was left stunned originally when he heard the duo would be taking over the club. Saunders has been impressed by the club's rise through the divisions but says more money must now be spent to build a competitive team that can compete in the Championship next season.
WHAT DEAN SAUNDERS SAID
He told BBC Sport: "It's unbelievable… they've done it, and it's brilliant for the town. I thought it was a joke when these two film stars came in. I think everyone thought it was a wind-up. But it looks to me as if they're going to put their hands in their pockets again. They're going to have to because obviously you're competing with Premier League salaries now. In League One and League Two and the National League, there's not a lot of difference in the wages – a couple of thousand either way – but some of these players playing for, say, Leicester and Ipswich – they're on £100,000 a week. You've got to try and put a team on the pitch that can compete with them, which is difficult."
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Saunders also thinks Wrexham can be competitive in the Championship: "Definitely. If you've got that momentum. Sorry to bring Man Utd up in this situation, but if you look at what gets into a club and makes the demise of it… Wrexham have got it the other way round, where they have got that winning formula, a winning confidence and everybody working their socks off at the club. And they have got that momentum which can make them compete. But it is going to be tough."
Scott McTominay "wanted to prove Manchester United wrong" when joining Napoli, says Andy Robertson, and he has done just that.
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The Red Devils agreed to part with another product of their famed academy system when sanctioning a £26 million ($35m) move to Italy for McTominay in the summer of 2024, despite then-manager Erik ten Hag's wishes to keep him.
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United are now cursing that decision after seeing McTominay register 12 goals while helping Napoli to Serie A title glory and himself to MVP honours. More uncomfortable questions are being asked of transfer decisions at Old Trafford, with several stars thriving elsewhere on the back of leaving Manchester.
WHAT ANDY ROBERTSON SAID
Robertson, who has just helped Liverpool to Premier League title glory, has said of seeing Scotland international team-mate McTominay thrive in Naples: "I think he went over there with a point to prove.
"I think he wanted to prove Manchester United wrong and prove people in the Premier League wrong. He has gone over there and done that pretty successfully. That’s credit to him, credit to his attitude and his determination to be the best version of himself. Now he is a king over there."
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McTominay made 255 appearances for United, but struggled to nail down a regular role and position. Robertson added on Napoli’s talismanic attacking midfielder: "At Manchester United he probably lacked getting that run of games consistently, he was in and out and things like that.
"He probably didn’t get the respect he deserves. Then he goes over there, puts in a magnificent season and fair play to him to end it with the league title. Even before he was at Napoli, his standards for Scotland were unbelievable. He’s getting better and better, he has taken it to a whole new level."
Sam Curran, Will Jacks also in the runs as Surrey post mammoth 236 for 2
ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2023A record-breaking batting performance from Laurie Evans and his Surrey teammates set up a 65-run victory against Glamorgan in their Vitality Blast match in Cardiff.Evans made the highest score against Glamorgan and the highest score on this ground as Surrey also set a record total at Sophia Gardens.With Sam Curran and Will Jacks both making runs, Surrey set Glamorgan a target of 237 to win. This was a hard enough task but with big hitting all-rounder Dan Douthwaite unable to bat, having only managing to bowl 10 balls before he left the field, it became even harder.Glamorgan eventually reached 171 for 8 as Surrey closed out a comfortable win with Sam Northeast’s 76 the only significant score from the home side.Surrey won the toss and elected to bat and were electrifying from the start of their innings. Jacks gave Evans great support in an opening stand that brought 115 runs from just 64 balls. Jacks was dismissed when he was trapped lbw by Glamorgan’s Australian leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou for 46 from 29 balls.While Evans had been the aggressor in his stand with Jacks it was Curran who took on the role when he walked into bat at three. In innings that was full of outrageous shots, seven of which were smoked over the boundary for six, it was the three balls Curran hit over the rope in Prem Sisodiya’s final over that will live longest in the memory. The last of these was a shot where Curran danced down the pitch a long way from where the ball pitched and still managed to straight drive it for six.It was in that same Sisodiya over that Glamorgan nearly had some respite from the partnership between Curran and Evans, but Kiran Carlson, playing with a dislocated finger he sustained in Sunday’s match against Sussex, put down a catch at long on when Evans was on 94.Evans made the most of his chance to score his third hundred in T20 cricket and his first for Surrey. His career best 118 not out came from 60 balls and contained 12 fours and six sixes.Curran departed in the final over, caught by Colin Ingram at long on going for another six, as Surrey posted 236 for 2, the highest total made on this ground, going past the 216 for 5 that Glamorgan made against Hampshire in 2019.Glamorgan were left with a near insurmountable task of going at nearly 12 runs an over from the very start of their innings and they were two wickets down inside the powerplay with Carlson and Callum Taylor both falling inside the first six overs.Glamorgan came into this match with four wins from five matches and most of that success has been down to the form of Ingram and Chris Cooke. There was a rare failure for both of them with Ingram dismissed for 11 by Sunil Narine and Cooke clean bowled by Gus Atkinson for 12.With Cooke and Ingram gone it was left to Northeast to try and bring some respectability to the Glamorgan total and his half-century the only bright spot on a tough day for his side.
Two serial Championship promotion winners will continue to trade blows at the very top of the second tier table as Daniel Farke and Chris Wilder butt heads for their respective sides in Leeds United and Sheffield United.
Combined, the German and the Sheffield-born manager have both managed to pick up a staggering six promotions on their managerial resumes, with another perhaps falling onto their CVs come the close of the dramatic campaign.
Unlike Farke, however, Wilder has been a success in the daunting Premier League, with the ex-Norwich City boss notoriously guilty of falling straight back down to the EFL.
On the contrary, the 57-year-old managed to pull off an unbelievable ninth-place finish for the Blades during the 2019/20 season, as the likes of Billy Sharp and Co played without fear in the big time.
It’s unlikely that the much-loved boss would be able to do this straight away if his side were to sneak back up to the top-flight, but he will hope his team would be able to put in an adequate fight.
After all, if promotion was to be sealed, United would have to be very busy in the transfer window, with the XI below what Wilder could well have at his disposal in a dream scenario…
1 GK – Michael Cooper
Wilder would likely stick by his number one goalkeeper in Michael Cooper if promotion was achieved, with the ex-Plymouth Argyle shot-stopper a revelation in between the sticks for the Blades since joining last summer.
The £2m forked out for the 25-year-old looks to be a bargain now when you consider Cooper has kept 19 clean sheets in second-tier action this season, meaning he might adjust well to the demands of the top-flight.
2 RB – Jonjoe Kenny
Heidenheim's Mathias Honsak in action with Hertha BSC'sJonjoeKenny
Unlike the ‘keeper spot at Bramall Lane, the right-back position has been a problem area in South Yorkshire all campaign long.
The likes of Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Clarke and Femi Seriki have all lined up here this season, but promotion could result in United finally winning long-term target Jonjoe Kenny.
A deal looked as though it was on the table in the January window only for a deal to fall through after the two clubs could not agree a transfer fee.
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The ex-Everton man stands out as an expansive full-back option at current employers Hertha Berlin with seven assists next to his name in the 2. Bundesliga, meaning he could be just what Wilder wants in this part of the pitch.
3 CB – Anel Ahmedhodzic
Sheffield United's Anel Ahmedhodzic
Anel Ahmedhodzic managed to come away from United’s demoralising relegation at the end of the 2023/24 campaign with his head held high, having won 4.5 duels per clash that season, even as the Blades finished rock bottom of the league.
The Bosnian will be raring to go again in the Premier League with the United titan formidable at the back in the second tier, with his defensive expertise currently seeing 14 clean sheets be picked up.
4 CB – Andrew Omobamidele
Much like the right-back spot, Wilder’s men will be light on numbers in the centre-back department next season with loanee Rob Holding returning back to Crystal Palace.
Therefore, the Blades could attempt to snap up Republic of Ireland international Andrew Omobamidele who is shining out on loan with RC Strasbourg currently, away from parent side Nottingham Forest.
The Irishman has come away from his four Ligue 1 contests to date with a 94% pass accuracy on average, resulting in Omobamidele perhaps striking up a healthy working relationship with the more imposing Ahmedhodzic.
5 LB – Harrison Burrows
Harrison Burrows would love to work alongside Kenny in the full-back positions with the ex-Peterborough United man equally a gung-ho body down the left.
Five goals and three assists have come Burrows’ way subsequently, as the 23-year-old potentially prepares to navigate the tricky step-up soon.
6 CM – Hamza Choudhury
Watford's Hamza Choudhury in action with Sheffield United'sTommyDoyle
Wilder would be jumping for joy if he could land Hamza Choudhury on a permanent deal after his loan deal from Leicester City expires.
Already, Choudhury has impressed in defensive midfield with three ball recoveries averaged per league clash, on top of the fact the 27-year-old can also gift his team some needed experience by boasting 57 top-flight appearances.
7 CM – Vinicius Souza
To shore up his team even more in the Premier League, Wilder would likely call upon Vinicius Souza to partner the returning Choudhury.
Whilst he has just one goal contribution to shout about in the second tier for 2024/25, the Brazilian has rarely put a foot wrong when battling away for his high-flying team, with 6.9 duels won per match from his 28 league appearances.
In the pits of a relegation battle, the 25-year-old could gift his team some much-needed grit and steel.
8 RM – Ben Brereton Diaz
Away from those who will be picked to be primarily dogged, Wilder will hope Ben Brereton Diaz sticks it out permanently in South Yorkshire to gift his team some firepower up top.
Capable of playing down the right flank or as a traditional centre-forward, the first of these two positions has given the Chilean a lot of joy on his Bramall Lane return, seen in his promising tally of three goals and three assists from 12 league games.
9 CAM – Callum O'Hare
Whilst Rhian Brewster has been given the nod recently in the number ten spot, Callum O’Hare is the likely figure that will be picked here if Premier League football is on the menu.
After all, Brewster has never scored for the Blades in the top flight, meaning he could find himself out of his depth again.
Moreover, O’Hare trumps the ex-Liverpool man’s numbers in the second tier this season, with a glowing eight goal contributions next to Brewster’s lesser seven.
10 LM – Gustavo Hamer
Much like Ahmedhodzic before him, Gustavo Hamer has proven himself in the past as a somewhat Premier League-ready performer for Wilder and Co.
Ten goal contributions were posted by the former Coventry City man even as relegation loomed on the horizon, with his ever-growing total now of eight goals and five assists from 35 second tier games making promotion feel near.
Going head-to-head against Newcastle United, Aston Villa are now reportedly battling to sign an attacking reinforcement who has scored nine goals in all competitions so far this season.
Aston Villa racing to sign 9-goal star
Three points adrift of a potential Champions League place and in the last eight of both the Champions League and the FA Cup, to say that Aston Villa still have it all to play for would be an understatement. The Villans have been inconsistent at times, there’s no hiding from that, but they could yet turn their campaign into historic success under Unai Emery.
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Earning Champions League qualification should still be their biggest priority, however. A second-consecutive campaign among Europe’s elite would further drag them away from any PSR concerns and leave them well-placed to make some serious statements on the transfer front once again.
The rumours are already coming thick and fast on that front too. Recent reports have linked impressive names such as Mike Maignan and Yves Bissouma with a summer switch to Villa Park, but it remains to be seen whether those deals come to fruition.
Instead, the Midlands club have reportedly turned their focus towards another Premier League star. According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are now battling to sign Dango Ouattara ahead of rival interest from Newcastle United this summer.
The Bournemouth winger, like many of Andoni Iraola’s players, has enjoyed an impressive campaign – scoring nine goals in all competitions. With that form now comes the interest of both Villa and Newcastle, who will reportedly have to pay around €40m (£33m) to sign the 23-year-old this summer.
Two sides competing for a Champions League place, it could be Villa’s success on the pitch which sees them jump ahead of the Magpies in the race to sign Ouattara. Whether they do enough to earn European qualification ahead of Eddie Howe’s side remains to be seen, however.
"Physical" Ouattara could replace Rashford
As impressive as Marcus Rashford has been on loan at Aston Villa, the Midlands club could yet decide to turn their attention towards a younger option rather than the England international who could be edging past the peak of his powers. And that’s where Ouattara could come in to offer Emery an instant star on the left side of his frontline.
Described as a “physical winger” and compared to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka by analyst Ben Mattinson, Ouattara is still just 23 years old and on course to become a Premier League star.
At just £33m, Aston Villa could seal a summer bargain by signing the Bournemouth winger ahead of Newcastle, perhaps replacing Rashford by doing so. As an excellent campaign nears its conclusion, Ouattara may have quite the decision to make.