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Aston Villa are preparing to table a "huge" offer for Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio this summer, according to an exciting new transfer claim.

Has Asensio been linked with Villa move?

The 27-year-old has enjoyed a memorable career at the Spanish giants, spending almost a decade there and winning countless trophies along the way. He has racked up a combined six Champions League and La Liga crowns (three of each), not to mention four Club World Cups and a Spanish Cup.

Asensio is out of contract at the end of this season, however, and with no new deal coming his way yet, it looks as though Madrid are willing to see him leave on a free transfer, and the player himself doesn't like the idea of staying put.

Villa have been linked with a move for the attacker in recent times, seeing him as a high-profile potential addition, and now a new update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him in the coming weeks.

Are Villa set to table Asensio bid?

According to Football Insider, the Villans are readying a "huge" offer for Asensio, as they look to complete an audacious piece of summer transfer business. It is stated that he is "on the verge of leaving Real Madrid after rejecting a new contract with the European champions."

Villa are believed to be "closely monitoring" his current situation, but he is "set to be deluged with offers from clubs in the Premier League and overseas."

Asensio really would be a statement signing if NSWE and Unai Emery were able to pull it off, making the rest of the Premier League sit and up and take notice in the process. His brilliance speaks for itself down the years, having scored 61 goals and registered 32 assists for Madrid, including finding the net in the 2017 Champions League final win over Juventus, with his pace, dribbling and wand-like left foot all standing out.

The Spain international has been lauded as a potential "Golden Ball winner" in the past by Florentino Perez, Raul once said he has a "great future" ahead of him, whereas he was also described as "sensational" for the impact he's made from the bench back in October.

While Asensio hasn't necessarily hit those heights throughout his career, at 27, this could be the moment that he is ready to be the star player at a club, possibly helping inspire Villa to new heights.

Jadon Sancho has had another tough season for Manchester United, and the £73m signing from Borussia Dortmund looks bereft of confidence.

Erik ten Hag’s side secured what could be a vital victory against Wolves as they look to seal a return to the Champions League, but Sancho failed to shine whilst other wingers Antony and Alejandro Garnacho recorded goal and assist contributions.

The 23-year-old has scored just five league goals this season, and is still yet to establish himself as a regular starter for United.

His performance against Wolves saw him lose the ball 12 times, fail to complete any dribbles and fail to create any chances as per SofaScore, and fans are beginning to get frustrated with the England international.

Some United fans have admitted it may be time for Sancho to move on, whilst others have questioned why the winger deserves a place in the side over Garnacho.

Sancho looks a shadow of his former self, and perhaps a change of environment would see him return to his Dortmund form. Fans were quick to notice his lack of impact, particularly compared to Garnacho. The best of the reaction can be seen below.

Fans have seemingly lost patience with the winger…

Some questioned why Sancho is ahead of Garnacho in the pecking order…

اعتذر المدرب الإيطالي روبروتو مانشيني المدير الفني لمنتخب السعودية الأول لكرة القدم، عن التصرف الذي صدر منه خلال مباراة الأخضر أمام كوريا الجنوبية في دور الـ16 ببطولة كأس آسيا.

وكان مانشيني قد غادر ملعب المباراة قبل نهاية اللقاء الذي انتهى بخسارة السعودية بركلات الحظ الترجيحية، بعد نهاية الوقت الأصلي والإضافي بنتيجة 1-1.

رئيس الاتحاد السعودي يوجه رسالة للجماهير بعد الخروج من كأس آسيا 2023

وقال مانشيني في تصريحات بالمؤتمر الصحفي عقب اللقاء: “أعتذر عما حدث، لقد اعتقدت بأن ركلات الترجيح انتهت، ولا توجد أي نية للانتقاص من أحد، والموقف ليس متعمدًا”.

وأضاف: “أودّ توجيه الشكر إلى جميع اللاعبين على ما قدّموه، مستواهم تحسَّن كثيرًا”.

وواصل: “أما عن إمكانية رحيلي عن منتخب السعودية بعد وداع كأس آسيا، ففي كرة القدم بإمكانك الفوز أو الخسارة”.

وأتم: “خسرنا بركلات الترجيح فقط، ولدينا منتخب قوي وعتيد، واللاعبون قدَّموا بلاءً حسنًا”.

الجدير بالذكر، أن مانشيني تعرض لانتقادات حادة على مشهد مغادرته ملعب اللقاء قبل نهاية ركلات الترجيح، قبل طالب بعض مشجعي كرة القدم السعودية بإقالته.

Leeds United did their survival hopes little good on Tuesday night as they could only muster a 1-1 draw against fellow relegation candidates Leicester City.

What happened in Leeds vs Leicester?

Leeds came into the game on the back of three defeats, with Dean Smith's side having earned a morale-boosting win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, and this game could certainly be considered a relegation six-pointer.

Javi Gracia's side were fortunate to not find themselves behind within ten minutes as Youri Tielemans' rocket was ruled out by VAR as Boubakary Soumare was offside before he set the ball up to his Belgian teammate.

In a frantic, fast-paced first half at Elland Road, it was the Yorkshire outfit who landed the first blow on Tuesday night, as Luis Sinisterra continued his fine recent goalscoring form by heading in Jack Harrison's wicked delivery at the back post.

Unfortunately, the Colombian was forced off through injury and Leeds lost some momentum as a result, with the Foxes looking dangerous throughout the second half until the talismanic Jamie Vardy found an equaliser from James Maddison's pass.

The veteran striker thought he had won it for Leicester only to be denied by the offside flag before Leeds rallied, with Marc Roca's header kept out at point-blank range by Daniel Iversen. Patrick Bamford then fluffed a golden opportunity in the final moments by sending his effort wide when left unmarked at the back post.

The result leaves Leeds deep in relegation trouble and Gracia's side could find themselves back in the bottom three by the end of the game week, with tough games against Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur still to come.

Who was Leeds' worst performer vs Leicester?

While Bamford will be the scapegoat for a lot of Leeds fans after his late miss, it was arguably Junior Firpo who was Gracia's poorest performer last night.

As per Sofascore, the Spanish full-back would earn a disappointing 6.5/10 rating for his performance, with only Liam Cooper and Robin Koch (both 6.3) rated lower of the Leeds players to feature in the game.

Although he has often been labelled a "liability" from a defensive perspective – as per the Mirror's David Anderson – it was the former Barcelona man's shocking passing throughout the game which made him Gracia's main antagonist at Elland Road.

Firpo would complete just 11/24 passes with a woeful success rate of only 46%, despite having 41 touches of the ball in his time on the pitch, emphasising just how poor he was in possession.

For context, Illan Meslier would complete 13 passes on the night, while the £60k-per-week defender has averaged 27.9 passes in the Premier League so far this term, so he was even worse than usual.

The left-back lost possession on 15 occasions in total, while he was also unsuccessful with all four of his long balls and failed with his one dribble attempt, in what was a truly dreadful display at Elland Road where he failed to exert any composure on proceedings.

Gracia will be hoping that Max Wober is back fit for upcoming games after witnessing Firpo's performance on his return to the side against Leicester. He was truly let down by the full-back on this occasion.

So often this season Tottenham have been the comeback kings. Most notably they came from behind to beat Bournemouth earlier in the campaign, scoring late on to secure a 3-2 win.Remarkably, the score was the same again on Saturday afternoon, just in favour of Gary O’Neill’s men this time around, as the two sides played out yet another thriller.A rare goal for Heung-min Son this term opened the scoring for Cristian Stellini’s men but they were pegged back by a strike from Mathias Vina. Dominic Solanke then gave the Cherries the lead shortly before half time, only for chaos to ensue at the death.Forgotten man Arnaut Danjuma scored a late equaliser for the Londoners with just two minutes remaining but up popped Dango Ouattara five minutes into injury time to score a winner.Spurs could well have won the game, however, if it wasn’t for two moments that summed up Richarlison’s career in north London.

What happened to Richarlison in Tottenham’s defeat to Bournemouth?

The Brazilian is still to find the net in the Premier League since his mega £60m switch from Everton last summer and against the Cherries this weekend, the wide man thought he’d finally ended his drought.

The ball bounced favourably to Richarlison inside the penalty area before he superbly found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.

There was then heartbreak again for the forward who unmarked from a late corner, somehow headed wide of the target from just six yards out.

It was a terrible miss and one that would have undoubtedly sealed all three points for the Lilywhites.

As it happened, that chance would come back to bite them when Ouatarra went up the other end and found the net himself.

Unsurprisingly, a number of supporters felt it was an opportune moment to have a pop at the Brazil international, with some of the most amusing reactions below…

Liverpool will go into the summer transfer window with the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes on their shortlist.

Who will Liverpool sign in the summer?

The most eye-catching links ahead of the summer transfer window on Merseyside will, of course, be the ones regarding potential interest in Jude Bellingham.

It is believed the Reds are one of the front-runners in the race to potentially prise the Englishman away from Borussia Dortmund over the coming months.

However, Jurgen Klopp's side have other options available for the summer with the Portuguese star, Nunes, being one of them of interest.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Reds have shortlisted the £85k-per-week Wolves midfielder as one of their targets for the summer window:

"Liverpool remain keen on Matheus Nunes. He's a player they appreciate, they already discussed Matheus Nunes as a target before he moved to Wolves.

"So it's something that they already discussed before the Premier League move and he remains a player in the list at Liverpool."

Could Nunes be a good Bellingham alternative?

Liverpool's midfield has come under criticism this season with Klopp's men well off the pace in the race to get their hands on the Premier League title once again.

And perhaps this could have a major effect for the Reds when the summer comes around and they aim to bring Bellingham to Anfield.

Whether the 19-year-old would be willing to potentially drop Champions League football to join Liverpool could be a serious question when he has offers from the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid.

So with this in mind, a player like Nunes may have to be an option for the Reds in the summer if they are forced out of the race for Bellingham.

Nunes only joined Wolves back in the summer and did so for a hefty price tag of around £42m so it is unlikely Julen Lopetegui's side would be willing to see him leave for anything less.

But it has not been a straightforward transition to life in the Premier League for the Portuguese midfielder who is yet to find the back of the net for Wolves.

Across his 24 league appearances for Wolves, Nunes has only been able to provide one assist and has found himself starting from the bench in the last two games (via Transfermarkt).

Hailed "special" by Yannick Bolasie back in August, Nunes has shown signs of making his mark at Molineux with an impressive return of successful take-ons which ranks inside the top 13th percentile (via FBref).

But it is apparent the 24-year-old still has a lot of adapting to do in the Premier League with his end product in attack leaving a lot to be desired.

Even the midfielder's defensive return has not been overly impressive with the likes of Jordan Henderson offering significantly more tackles per 90 minutes than Nunes (via FBref).

Midfield appears to be the main area for improvement at Anfield but whether Nunes is the answer will remain to be seen.

Journalist Martin Lipton believes Ruben Amorim could be a managerial option for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Conte’s future becoming clearer

Reports have started to emerge over the last 24 hours about how Spurs are expected to part ways with Antonio Conte later this week following a string of poor results and the Italian’s explosive post-match rant last weekend.

Conte ripped into the club, their history and his players after Tottenham surrendered a two-goal lead away to bottom-of-the-table Southampton – something the manager certainly didn’t take very well.

It is now expected that Conte can no longer continue as Spurs head coach, which means Daniel Levy will soon be on the hunt for yet another manager. However, he could wait until the summer to make a permanent appointment once the season is over and when managers in a job such as Amorim may be more likely to leave their current position.

The Latest: Amorim could be Conte’s successor at Spurs

While speaking on the Off The Ball YouTube channel, Lipton name-dropped Sporting CP boss Amorim as a potential candidate to replace Conte come the summer.

He said: “Do you look at Amorim from Sporting Lisbon? Again, he’s another option, would be a change. A lot of Portuguese managers have come in recently and not done so well, so wherever you go, it’s going to be a difficult call.”

The Verdict: Levy may decide to take a risk

Levy’s last three appointments at Spurs have all been experienced coaches who had a lot of games under their belt managing in the Premier League, though none of them managed to bring about success in N17.

Therefore, going for someone less experienced, younger and hungrier to put their mark on the club could be what Tottenham need to finally turn themselves into serious trophy contenders.

Someone such as Amorim could well be who they go for in the summer as he has already proven himself against Spurs as a competent manager in the Champions League this season, beating them once in the process.

Pep Guardiola has been left impressed by the Portuguese coach, labelling him as ‘one of the best’ in the world, so he may have what it takes to make his mark in north London following his exploits with Sporting this term.

Everton were rightfully denied a second penalty on Sunday in their game against Nottingham Forest after a coming-together between Seamus Coleman and Jack Colback, according to Dermot Gallagher.

Why weren’t Everton awarded another penalty?

Sean Dyches’ men took the lead in the game at the City Ground having won a penalty which was then converted by Demarai Gray inside the opening minutes.

However, they could have had the opportunity to score their second of the game just moments later after their Irish right-back was brought down inside the box.

It appeared as if Colback caught the heels of Coleman with the Forest midfielder chasing the Everton man into the box as he closed in on Keylor Navas’ goal.

But speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Gallagher has suggested the referee came to the right decision despite recognising it was a decision which will divide football fans:

“This is going to divide people. I think this is actually not a penalty. I think Coleman catches Colback’s foot as he is about to shoot. And that is what throws him off balance.

“It wasn’t an outstretched foot from Colback. The McNeil one was a tackle. It is what it is. I spoke to loads of people who thought it was a penalty. When it’s such a tough, tough call, then VAR won’t get involved.”

Will Everton avoid the drop?

Given the struggles Everton have endured this season and with results under Dyche perhaps not picking up in the way some would have hoped, three points on the weekend would have felt like a huge result.

Instead, it feels as if this decision could be one which could potentially be looked back upon at the end of the campaign as a defining moment in their season.

Three points against Steve Cooper’s side would have lifted the Toffees out of the bottom three and up to 16th place following the results elsewhere over the weekend.

And having played an extra game compared to the teams around them, three points would have also put pressure on their relegation rivals.

However, it was not given and perhaps there is no point dwelling on the decision but it is certainly one which has been recognised as one which can be seen through the eyes of the Everton fans.

There was seemingly contact from Colback but whether Coleman also caught the Forest man or not may have played a part in the decision-making.

It feels as if it is one which will be filed under the clumsy category but that is not something which will entertain Everton fans as their side continues to battle against the drop.

Newcastle United fell to only their second Premier League defeat this season on Saturday, both of which have come against Liverpool, on a rare off-day during a tremendously high-flying campaign so far.

Early goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo gave the Reds a commanding and perhaps surprising advantage, given the Magpies’ fourth-placed position and the visitors’ well-documented struggles of late.

Magpies manager Eddie Howe will have been disappointed with his team’s uncharacteristically sluggish start, but it was the ever-reliable Nick Pope’s reckless handling outside of the penalty box midway through the first half, resulting in a red card, which sealed the home side’s fate.

Despite the loss, which now leaves Newcastle without a win in four league games, there were a smattering of displays which offer hope that the recent blip can be rectified ahead of the business end of the campaign.

Was Saint-Maximin Newcastle’s shining light vs Liverpool?

Despite Newcastle falling to defeat at St James’ Park, Allan Saint-Maximin was the shining light against Jurgen Klopp’s side. While Howe will rue the missed opportunity to cement his team’s position within the Champions League places, he can be confident that the French dynamo is returning to form at an opportune moment in the campaign.

As per Transfermarkt, the £70k-p/w winger has only scored one goal this season, also providing three assists, and he has been restricted to seven league starts due to injury and his less than prolific form.

However, as per Sofascore, only Kieran Trippier bettered Saint-Maximin’s 7.7 match rating for Newcastle, with the dynamic winger hitting the woodwork and taking three shots, one of which was on target. He succeeded with seven of his nine dribbles and was the progressive force which ensured that, despite being a man light for most of the game, the Magpies proved dangerous in their endeavours.

Taking 48 touches, making two key passes and completing 84% of his passes, Saint-Maximin’s ball-playing prowess took centre stage, while he also got stuck in off the ball by winning seven duels, and he must now be unleashed on a regular basis if the Toon are to soar once again after thieir recent blip.

Hailed by journalist Thomas Hammond as the “MOTM”, a billing also conferred on the 25-year-old by Jamie Carragher, Saint-Maximin was praised by Chronicle reporter Ciaran Kelly for “showing some fight” despite his team facing an uphill battle following Pope’s first-half dismissal.

In spite of this setback, there remains plenty of cause for optimism on Tyneside, with the tantalising taste of silverware looming around the corner as Manchester United await in the Carabao Cup final.

A repeat performance from Saint-Maximin at Wembley next week could go a long way towards Howe taking silverware back to Tyneside.

Presenter of the HLTCO podcast Dan Cook believes Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi could be worth up to £65m in the market amid recent transfer links.

What’s the word?

While the January window is now closed, clubs who missed out on key targets may already be planning to rekindle interest in the summer.

And while Guehi never looked likely to leave Palace this winter, it has since been claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are potentially keen on signing the player. Indeed, as reported by football.london journalist Alasdair Gold, Spurs are ‘big admirers’ of the central defender.

Amid this latest development, while talking on the HLTCO podcast, Cook warned that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy might try to lowball the club – but he values the player anywhere from £50m to £65m.

He explained: “Given the way that Daniel Levy operates and the whole dissatisfaction behind the scenes at Spurs, I think it’s fair to assume that any offer that does come our way is likely to be quite a lowballing one.

“I don’t think it’s even outlandish, from a Crystal Palace fan or director point of view, to say that Marc Guehi should be going for 50, 60, maybe even £65m given his importance to us, given his age, given his England appearances and the potential of more England appearances in years to come, his comfort on the ball, his defensive solidarity.

“I think he has everything to be a top, top Premier League defender and we’re very, very lucky to have him. With that in mind, any sale of Marc Guehi to a club like Spurs will have to come at a premium.”

Fair price?

Guehi certainly is a top talent. After all, he is still only 22 years of age, yet he has already played over 50 times in the Premier League and has three international caps with England –  as well as winning numerous youth trophies, including the U17 World Cup.

In the league this season, he has an average Sofascore rating of 6.93 across 19 starts for Palace. If you compare him with Ben Davies, who often plays as a left centre-back in a three for Spurs, the Welshman has a 6.86 average rating from 18 outings.

They both have five clean sheets, but Guehi makes more interceptions, more tackles and more clearances per game, while he also has a marginally more accurate passing percentage.

With that in mind, you can see how the Englishman could be seen as an upgrade. Of course, £65m is an awful lot of money to pay, but Manchester United did pay Leicester City £80m to land Harry Maguire in 2019, so it wouldn’t be the most a Premier League side has paid for an English defender by some way.