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Aston Villa recorded an extraordinary 15th straight win at home in the Premier League as they beat Arsenal 1-0 at Villa Park on Saturday.

John McGinn's goal was enough to seal all three points for the hosts, who are now third in the table and two points off Liverpool in first place.

Unai Emery's side are also top of the Europa Conference League group ahead of their final group stage match on Thursday, and will progress through to the knockout stages in 2024.

The Spanish head coach has been a terrific appointment by the club so far and Villa supporters will be hoping there is more to come from him, particularly in the transfer market alongside Monchi – who arrived over the summer.

Sevilla's former sporting director could work with Emery in the upcoming January transfer window to make further additions to the first-team squad to boost their pursuit of Champions League football for next season.

Aston Villa transfer news – Alex Baena

One player who has been touted with a possible move to Villa Park ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign is Villarreal attacking midfielder Alex Baena.

90min recently reported that the Villans are 'increasingly' interested in a deal to sign the 22-year-old magician to improve their midfield options.

The outlet claimed that the club are now considering a swoop to sign the talented gem in January after being told to keep an eye on him by Emery.

Villa's boss handed Baena his first-team debut at Villarreal and urged his scouts to keep close tabs on the Spanish whiz's performances over the last 12 months or so.

The Villans have been impressed by what they have seen and that could now lead to a move to England in January if they are able to agree a deal for his services.

It was also added that sporting director Monchi has been given the go-ahead to go out and recruit players to improve their chances of landing a top four spot at the end of the season.

Baena has a £51m release clause in his current contract with Villarreal and any interested club is likely to need to pay that in order to win the race for his signature, amid interest from Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.

Monchi could now land Emery his own version of Gunners captain and star Martin Odegaard by beating the aforementioned Premier League giants to the Spain international next month.

Why Alex Baena is similar to Martin Odegaard

As per FBref, Odegaard is one of the most similar players to Baena based on their statistics in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last year – alongside the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan – who both won the Premier League last season.

As you can see from the table above, the Villarreal whiz is in great company and this shows how impressive he has been over the last 365 days for his club.

Baena, like Odegaard, is a creative talent who is mainly deployed as an attacking midfielder and has the quality to consistently find ways to open up the opposition's defence with his inventive and incisive play.

Odegaard's season in numbers

The Arsenal maestro has been in impressive form once again for Mikel Arteta's side in the Premier League so far this season with his magical displays.

He has racked up four goals, two assists, and five 'big chances' created in 13 top-flight appearances, to go along with two goals in four Champions League outings.

Odegaard has provided his teammates with 2.2 key passes per game in the league this term, whilst no Aston Villa player has managed more than 1.8 per match.

The Norway international also ranks within the top 6% of his positional peers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.21) per 90 in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

He is also within the top 2% for shot-creating actions (4.72) per 90 during that period and these statistics show that the left-footed whiz is a terrific creator who has been one of the best in Europe at unlocking opposition defences on a regular basis.

Odegaard ranked within the top 13% or higher of attacking midfielders for assists (0.20), shot-creating actions (4.69), xAG (0.23), and progressive passes (7.66) per 90 in the Premier League last season.

The statistics that show why Baena could be Odegaard 2.0

Baena, meanwhile, has caught the eye with his superb performances for Villarreal since the start of last season and could come in as Emery's own version of the Arsenal dynamo.

The 22-year-old wizard contributed with one goal, five assists, and seven 'big chances' created in 14 LaLiga appearances during the 2023/24 campaign, to go along with 2.4 key passes per game.

This shows that, like Odegaard, the Spanish gem has the ability to create opportunities for his teammates at an impressive rate, and one that no current Villa player has been able to match.

Baena also ranks within the top 5% or higher of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for xAG (0.26), assists (0.28), and shot-creating actions (4.46) per 90.

These statistics show that the £51m-rated whiz, who was once lauded as a "beautiful" technician by journalist Josh Bunting, is similar to Odegaard in terms of the quality of chances that he is able to create from a midfield position.

In fact, Baena ranks within the top 3% of midfielders in LaLiga this season for shot-creating actions (5.01) and assists (0.42) per 90, which illustrates how impressive his performances have been this term.

Therefore, Monchi could sign Emery's own version of Odegaard for Villa by bringing him to the club in January due to his sublime creative qualities that could make him a standout in the middle of the park during the second half of the season and beyond.

It would be fair to assume that now that Jurgen Klopp has enjoyed the fruits of his summer midfield rebuild at Liverpool, attention would be turned to other areas of the pitch – namely, the defence.

Yes, Joel Matip endured a crushing premature conclusion to his campaign (and potentially even his illustrious Anfield career) after suffering an ACL injury against Fulham earlier in December, with his contract set for expiry in June.

And while the backline will receive attention in the near future, the Reds manager appears to be eager to strengthen his engine room further with a top-class holding midfielder.

True, Alexis Mac Allister has done a fine job anchoring the midfield but he will feel that his creative attributes are better served in a No. 8 role.

Regardless, he's been a competent – albeit divergent – replacement for Fabinho, who was sold to Al-Ittihad for £40m in the summer after a stark decline.

A replacement was lined up to no avail, but Klopp might just be considering a return for this touted summer target…

Liverpool transfer news – Andre

According to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, Liverpool could be in with a chance to sign Fluminense midfielder Andre after the Brasileiro Serie A club's asking price of £30m has seen little positive movement from interested parties.

Arsenal and Fulham have also watched the player's performances with fervour over the past several months, with the Cottagers in particular vying to secure his signature.

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But with Fluminense now reportedly accepting the possibility of selling him next summer – midway through the Brazilian season – to fit the plans of European outfits, Liverpool could invest in the defence this winter with the knowledge that the dream defensive midfielder lies waiting at the end of the campaign.

Andre's season in numbers

With Fluminense having played Manchester City in the Club World Cup final, Andre had a great opportunity to strut his stuff against Klopp's rivals, revealing to reporter Ben Jacobs that "his dream is clear".

He is, of course, addressing questions regarding his desire to make the interminable voyage across the North Atlantic Ocean toward English shores, where he could transfer the core qualities that have earned him such glittering acclaim in his homeland.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old has been an omnipresent machine in the centre of the park for his outfit this season, making 31 appearances in the Brazilian top-flight, completing 96% of his passes, making 6.9 ball recoveries per game and winning 70% of his dribbles and 60% of his ground duels. Evidently this is a progressive midfielder who also has a degree of no-nonsense pedigree to his game.

Hailed as a "leader" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his talismanic performances from the centre, the two-cap Brazil international also replicated his noteworthy efforts on the continental stage, with Flu conquering South America in the Copa Libertadores and defeating Argentinian giants Boca Junior in the final.

In this match, Andre won eight duels, completed 95% of his passes, made four tackles and succeeded with both of his attempted dribbles, crucial in gleaning gold.

Andre's style of play

So it's clear that Andre is a proficient distributor and it's obvious that he's only too happy to contribute to the match action with a well-placed challenge, but the truth is he has that prodigious vein of quality coursing under the surface that scant few players are bestowed with.

As per FBref, the Brazilian ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Brasileiro Serie A over the past year for pass completion and passes attempted, the top 25% for progressive carries and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, showcasing his first-class ball-playing ability and robustness in the centre of the engine room.

Journalist Fernando Campos is among those dazzled by the South American's skills, saying: "André Trindade is the best midfielder in the country and is a monster of a player."

He is combative and industrious and appears to boast the modern skill set of a defensive midfielder who marries ball-playing skills with traditional dominance in the defensive duties, much like Liverpool's very own Thiago Alcantara.

Thiago Alcantara's Liverpool future

Liverpool signed Thiago from German giants Bayern Munich for around £25m in 2020, with Klopp opting to replace Gini Wijnaldum in the centre of the park with a different type of central star.

The 32-year-old has made 97 displays for the club and notably won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but injuries have been too often the narrative and he has not featured at all this season as he recovers from a long-term issue.

The maestro ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 8% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for tackles and the top 5% for interceptions per 90.

Out of contact at the end of the season, Klopp and co will need to assess their options and work out who could be the perfect replacement, and surely, given the similarities in style, Andre could be the solution.

A distinguished and cultured veteran of the game, it's staggering to think that Liverpool have been without his services all season, and just how integral Thiago could be as the Anfield side chase down the Premier League title over the coming months.

Described as an "orchestrator" by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango, Andre has the dexterity to serve as the string-puller, weaving and working his skill on the Liverpool midfield to strengthen and improve the squad.

There's no telling whether Thiago will end his Merseyside journey at the end of the campaign, but for all of his genius, the silky Spaniard is simply too unreliable on the fitness front as he approaches his 33rd year.

Andre is the natural successor, emulating the passing prowess and tenacity in the tackle to ensure that Klopp obtains a tool capable of taking his revived Liverpool side to the next gear.

The race for the English top-flight's biggest individual prize has been incredibly open all season long, with a host of clubs represented

The 2023-24 Premier League season is now wrapped, and Manchester City have finished top of the pile once again. Erling Haaland picked up another Golden Boot to help his side secure a record-breaking fourth successive crown, but failed to defend his Premier League Player of the Season crown from 2022-23 after being overshadowed by Phil Foden, who proved to be the ultimate difference-maker in a squad full of world-class operators.

Foden ran away with it in the end, seeing off competition from a host of Arsenal stars as Mikel Arteta's side were pipped by City on the final day, while Jurgen Klopp was left beaming with pride at his Liverpool squad after ending his nine-year reign at Anfield with a third-place finish. Meanwhile, Unai Emery managed to deliver Champions League qualification for Aston Villa after lifting several players to new heights, including Ollie Watkins, who has put himself into contention for a big role for England at Euro 2024.

Tottenham came in fifth, led once again by the South Korea sharp-shooter Son Heung-min, and although Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United all under-achieved, they were kept in the European reckoning by certain individuals that refused to allow their own standards to slip.

So without further ado, GOAL brings you our final rankings for the 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season award after 12 months of thrills, spills and breathless drama…

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  16Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)

  West Ham weren't able to ride the wave of their 2022-23 Europa Conference League success for long, but did still manage to record another top-half finish under departing boss David Moyes. A lot of the credit must go to Jarrod Bowen, who scored the winner in their now famous final victory over Fiorentina last May, as he's improved his finishing to help the Hammers become one of the most effective counter-attacking sides in the Premier League.

  The 27-year-old racked up 16 Premier League goals, 10 more than he managed in the whole of last term, and his stunning hat-trick in a 4-2 away win at Brentford will live long in the memory. Bowen has also managed to set up another six as the focal point in West Ham's attack, forcing his way into the England squad as a result, and might find himself on the radar of a number of top clubs in the summer transfer window.

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  15Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

  It's no exaggeration to suggest that Manchester United would have been fighting to avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight had it not been for Bruno Fernandes. Erik ten Hag's side were dire as a collective throughout the season, and won't be playing Champions League football next term as a consequence, but Fernandes can still hold his head up high after a string of superb individual performances.

  The Portuguese has somehow managed to record 18 goal involvements in this terrible United team, leading by example with his work rate and exceptional passing range. Fernandes does divide opinion among neutrals with his theatrics and body language, but there is no denying his quality.

  If United are to start building towards a far brighter future under new minority owners INEOS, it's imperative that Fernandes is right at the centre of the project. The Red Devils are lucky to have the magical 29-year-old, who would probably get into the starting XI at every other elite club in Europe.

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  14Son Heung-min (Tottenham)

  There was a lot of pressure on Son to deliver for Spurs this season. After Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich, the South Korea international became the main man in the team, which was further underlined by Ange Postecoglou's decision to hand him the captaincy.

  By his own admission, the 2022-23 campaign was Son's most disappointing in a Tottenham shirt to date. However, the 31-year-old has shown he still has plenty left in the tank while swapping between his usual position on the left and a central striker role this term.

  Son netted 17 goals, including three across two pulsating north London derby games against Arsenal, showing once again that he is peerless when it comes to the art of finishing. Spurs may have missed out on the Champions League, but Postecoglou's first season in charge must still be deemed a success, and Son certainly seems to be enjoying his football again under the no-nonsense Australian.

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  13Ruben Dias (Manchester City)

  City are still one of the best defensive sides in England, which is mainly down to the presence of Dias, who is one of the few players in Guardiola's line-up that doesn't seem to be at risk of rotation when fully fit. The Portuguese is a master defender with superb positional sense and excellent technical qualities, and always takes on a leading role in his partnerships with Manuel Akanji, Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake.

  John Stones' continued struggles with injury robbed Dias of his main right-hand man, and he had his share of setbacks earlier in the season, but it's impossible to keep such a smooth operator down for long. Dias was front and centre once again as the general in Guardiola's ranks at the business end of the campaign, and one of the main reasons that City have been able to continue their unprecedented dominance of English football.

Jose Mourinho has been unveiled by Fenerbahce as their new head coach and the Portuguese manager has made a bold pledge to the fans.

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• Mourinho joins Fenerbahce
• Unveiled to thousands of fans
• Sends special message to supporters

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mourinho was shown the door by Roma earlier this year after a string of poor performances for I Giallorossi. He has now signed on with the Turkish side this summer and his unveiling at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium was attended by thousands of fans, who celebrated the manager's signing wildly as they gave him a stupendous reception.

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• WHAT MOURINHO SAID TO FENERBAHCE FANS

  Speaking at his unveiling, Mourinho said: "Merhaba (hello) Fenerbahce fans. See you tomorrow in Kadikoy and let’s start our journey together.

  "I want to thank you for your love. Normally a coach is loved after victories. In this case I feel that I am loved before the victories. That for me is a big responsibility that I feel.

  "I promise you from this moment, I belong to your family. This shirt is my skin. Football is passion and there is no better place to feel that passion.

  "Since the moment I met the president, I wanted to play for you because you are the soul of the football club. I want to be the coach of all of you.

  "I want to work in Turkish football. I want to help the Turkish league. But the most important thing for me is Fenerbahce.

  "From the moment I sign my contract, your dreams are now my dreams."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO?

  While Mourinho now has to focus on the Turkish side's business during the summer transfer window, he will also have his sight set on the Euros in Germany to keep an eye on any potential talents that his side could snap up.

Newcastle United are believed to be a plotting a formal bid for a gifted Championship starlet with a big future in the game, a new report has claimed.

Newcastle want January signings

The Magpies' struggles this season have been well-documented, with constant injury problems making it difficult for them to replicate last year's brilliance. A second consecutive top-four finish in the Premier League is looking increasingly difficult, but with the January transfer window now underway, they will have a chance to make new signings, with Eddie Howe surely keen on boosting the squad options that he currently has.

The absence of Sven Botman at the centre of Newcastle's defence has hurt them badly so far this season, and a lack of top-quality centre-backs means that they have been linked with moves for the likes of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie and highly-rated Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo.

Newcastle's midfield has struggled at times, too, not helped by Sandro Tonali being suspended for ten months and not being back until next season, and Kalvin Phillips continues to stand out as a primary target, with a loan move for the Manchester City and England ace mooted.

It is important that signings arrive for the here and now this month, but equally, it is also paramount that Howe looks to hoover up top young talent as well, which is where a new transfer story comes into play.

Newcastle eyeing move for Rory Finneran

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Newcastle are readying a bid for Blackburn Rovers teenager Rory Finneran, with scouts left impressed after watching him in action recently.

"Newcastle are plotting a formal move for Blackburn Rovers starlet Rory Finneran, sources have told Football Insider. Finneran, 15, is regarded as a future star by the Championship club and is already a Republic of Ireland Under-17 international.

"Newcastle are readying an offer for the defensive midfielder – who has impressed Magpies scouts at youth level for both club and country. Finneran has regularly taken part in first-team training with Blackburn and was named on the bench for their recent 2-1 win over Bristol City on 12 December."

Finneran may be something of an unknown, considering he is still just 15 years of age, but he is someone who is highly thought of at Blackburn, with the report's description of him as a "future star" outlining his potential. The midfielder has already made ten appearances for his current club's Under-18s, despite being three years younger than that age group, further showing the speed at which he is developing.

Newcastle could be an ideal club for Finneran to move to, with the Magpies' current issues not masking the fact that they are still heading in a positive direction overall.

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The emergence of Lewis Miley this season could even be used as inspiration for the Blackburn starlet, too, with the 17-year-old enjoying a breakthrough campaign that has seen him becoming a genuinely important first-team player.

At the end of last month, when it became clear that Wolves striker Fabio Silva was available on loan, Scottish Premiership contenders Celtic and Rangers battled it out for the signing. While it's the Hoops who are top of the table of the moment, the Gers prevailed in this particular scrap, securing the services of Silva on loan until the end of the season.

However, attention at Parkhead now seems to have turned to another young striker, this time 21-year-old Leeds ace Joe Gelhardt. Gelhardt joined Leeds from Wigan in 2020, and spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship with Sunderland.

He's only made six second-tier appearances for the relegated Whites this season, with just two coming from the start. Partly due to injury, he's been limited to a solitary league outing for Daniel Farke's side since mid-September.

Celtic and Rangers fight for Gelhardt

Now, a report from The Daily Mail's Simon Jones reveals that Celtic and Rangers are showing "interest" in Gelhardt, potentially setting up a repeat of their Silva duel. It's unclear in the story whether the two clubs are eyeing a loan deal or a permanent move, but it should be noted either way that Gelhardt is under contract at Elland Road until the summer of 2027.

Leeds have previously told Gelhardt that he'll be staying put, with Farke unwilling to sanction even a temporary exit, but it remains to be seen whether that stance changes. Logic dictates that a young player struggling for minutes would benefit from regular first-team action elsewhere.

Gelhardt can strike fear into SPL defences

Former Leeds player Noel Whelan says Gelhardt possesses "something special" and "scares defenders", and he's been showing that since his days in the youth ranks. The Englishman bagged in 18 goals in 27 appearances at Premier League 2 level before graduating to senior football.

While he inevitably hasn't been quite as explosive in the men's game just yet, his numbers are still respectable. Last season, for instance, he provided six direct goal contributions in 18 league appearances for Sunderland, an average of one every 202 minutes, even though he was playing through injury, according to director Kristjaan Speakman.

In 2021/22, his last full season playing in the Premier League, he scored twice and set-up four more at an even better rate of a goal or assist every 122 minutes. This suggests he's a player who can come up with big moments over the course of the season even when he's occupying a reserve role.

At first, he'd be best suited to serving as an understudy for Kyogo Furuhashi, who's Brendan Rodgers' joint-top scorer right now with 10 goals, but maybe if he impressed in a loan spell, Celtic could think about trying to sign permanently and extract the full potential of a player who's previously been called up to England's under-21 side.

Still, they mustn't get ahead of themselves. The first job is to convince Leeds to make him available, and the second is to persuade him to pick green and white over blue.

Harry Kane has ended any lingering doubt regarding his future at Bayern Munich, with the prolific frontman making a goal promise for 2024-25.

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• Left Spurs for Germany in 2023
• Hit 44 goals in debut campaign
• Still looking for major silverware

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international completed a big-money move to the Allianz Arena during the summer of 2023. He was able to maintain remarkable individual standards during his debut campaign in Germany, with the target found on 44 occasions, but his long wait for major silverware goes on following a trophyless season.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bayern’s inability to break Kane’s duck when it comes to collective honours has led some to suggest that the 30-year-old could look to beat a hasty return to the Premier League, with Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer boasting plenty of admirers in his homeland.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  He is, however, tied to a contract at Bayern until 2027 and has vowed to lead their trophy charge next season. Kane has posted on Instagram after landing the Globe Soccer Best Goalscorer award for 2023-24: “Proud to have picked up this award – it’s really an award for the club and all my teammates as well as they’ve made me so welcome in my first season in the Bundesliga. Looking to score even more next season.”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  An unfortunate end of season injury prevented Kane from trying to chase down Robert Lewandowski’s single-season Bundesliga record of 41 goals – as he was left on 36. He is now putting club efforts to one side, with England looking for their record-breaking captain to inspire Euro 2024 glory this summer.

Derby County, with a big win tonight under the floodlights at Pride Park over local neighbours Burton Albion, could push into the League One automatic promotion places on goal difference at the expense of Peterborough United.

With Paul Warne's men arguably suffering from being a big fish in a small pond in the third tier – the weight of expectation significant on the Rams from minute one this campaign – this month could be key in signing fresh blood that could catapult Derby back up to the promised land of the Championship.

One transfer target in particular could help Warne's men pick up even more comprehensive wins as the promotion race heats up, poaching the player in question from a fellow third-tier outfit if a deal gets over the line.

Derby's hunt for a left winger

Football Insider has revealed in the past few days that Derby have made a bid of £250k for Charlton Athletic star-man Corey Blackett-Taylor. The Addicks are marooned in an underwhelming mid-table spot currently and the Rams will look to steal the left winger away from the underperforming outfit as a result.

The League One automatic promotion candidates will also look to sign Blackett-Taylor for a cut-price to further pile on the misery, the ex-Aston Villa attacker out of contract at the Valley at the end of the campaign.

A bright spark in an otherwise dismal season so far for the Londoners, Derby could well look to sign the on-fire 26-year-old attacker to enhance their own options down the left-hand flank with Blackett-Taylor an upgrade on the experienced but ageing Tom Barkhuizen.

Further, seasoned third-tier sharpshooter James Collins will be licking his lips at the prospect of playing alongside a winger who has been an assist king for the Addicks this campaign on top of being a reliable goalscorer himself.

EFL Championship done deals: Every January 2024 transfer

As the January transfer window closes, FFC has you covered for every in and out involving your club in the EFL Championship.

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The stats that show Blackett-Taylor is better than Barkhuizen

Blackett-Taylor has been central to everything promising at the Valley this season, helping himself to a staggering 16 goal contributions from just 28 games in a flat Addicks side.

Slotting in to play alongside the likes of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Conor Hourihane should see Blackett-Taylor go on leaps and bounds, an even more frightening prospect for third tier defenders to keep tabs on if the Rams are successful in sealing the deal.

In contrast, Barkhuizen – who has been Warne's main man down the left wing this season – has ten goal contributions next to his name at Pride Park from 25 games in all competitions.

At 30 years of age too, in a Derby team that does often go for the experienced head more often than not, the Rams number seven will only deteriorate over time and so Warne could look for an injection of freshness and excitement by swooping for Blackett-Taylor.

Collins will hope he can play the role of Alfie May back at Pride Park if the tricky winger relocates to Derbyshire, the deadly Charlton striker top scorer in the division with 16 goals alongside the reliable service of his dependable and slick teammate despite the continued struggles of the team under Michael Appleton.

The 33-year-old striker could well become a far more effective beast playing alongside Blackett-Taylor therefore, with the flanker previously described as being "very difficult to defend against" by Johnnie Jackson.

Collins is on 11 for the campaign already in League One but has reached far loftier heights at the level before with Luton Town – scoring 25 goals during the Hatters' title-winning 2018-19 season up to the Championship.

Derby are plugging along nicely, but with a New Year's Day defeat to Peterborough United still lingering at the back of their minds, signing talents such as Blackett-Taylor could really show they mean business in the automatic promotion hunt.

Neymar has fuelled speculation regarding a possible reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami after revealing that the pair still “talk a lot”.

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• Played together at Barcelona & PSG
• Now in America & Saudi Arabia
• Remain close & in regular contact

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  South American superstars from Brazil and Argentina having previously graced the same squads at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. They have won La Liga, Ligue 1 and Champions League crowns together, but are now turning out in different parts of the world.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both severed ties with PSG in the summer of 2023, as Messi decided to chase the American dream in MLS and Neymar followed Cristiano Ronaldo to the Middle East and Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal – where he has barely figured due to a serious knee ligament injury.

• WHAT NEYMAR SAID

  There has been talk of Neymar and Messi being reunited in the States, with fellow former Barca stars Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba already in Florida. The Brazil international has told of his relationship with Messi: “We are far away but we talk, we talk a lot. Even yesterday, he sent me a message but we are happy, we are happy for each other. For the title, he sent me a message when we won here too. I spoke to him, he’s a great guy, he’s a great mirror for me, he’s a great idol. Besides being an idol, he’s a friend I have and we talk a lot.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While Neymar is yet to make his mark in Saudi Arabia, as he works his way back to full fitness, Messi has continued to star in MLS – with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner breaking more records and generating MVP talk in 2024.

Alisha Lehmann has been reunited with boyfriend Douglas Luiz in Florida, with the pair enjoying a “day off” at Universal Studios in Orlando.

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• Brazilian star ready for tournament action
• Swiss forward enjoying a summer break
• Have been seeing the sights in Florida

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Swiss star Lehmann headed to Miami for a sunshine break after seeing her domestic and international commitments come to a close for 2023-24. After soaking up rays on the beach, she made the short trip to Orlando to watch Luiz in action for Brazil against the USMNT.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The South American midfielder is readying himself for the 2024 Copa America, which gets underway on June 20. Brazil’s first outing in that competition will take them across the States to California and a meeting with Costa Rica.

• THE GOSSIP

  It remains to be seen whether Lehmann will follow her partner to the west coast, but for now they are enjoying each other’s company in the Sunshine State. Alongside a group of close friends, the pair have taken in dinosaur and Transformers attractions at Universal Studios.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Luiz has already paid a visit to the Universal attraction in Brazil this summer, having headed to his homeland with Lehmann once their respective campaigns at Aston Villa were wrapped up, but they are now enjoying that experience together ahead of more international duty.