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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Aston Villa advanced into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup to set up a tie with local rivals Wolves after beating Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday night.

Jota opened the scoring with his first goal for the club before Conor Hourihane doubled the lead just after the half an hour mark with his third in the competition.

The home side were able to pull one back through youngster Haydon Roberts, but Jack Grealish put an end to any chance of a comeback with a fine half-volley to hand Villa a 3-1 victory.

Dean Smith made nine changes to his side as he looked to rest several of his first-team stars – winger Trezeguet kept his place while John McGinn was drafted in due to an injury to Henri Lansbury, who had been expected to feature.

It meant that Villa’s entire backline was rotated thus giving a rare opportunity to Kortney Hause and Ezri Konsa, who both joined the club permanently in the summer.

Neither player has been able to start a Premier League game yet this season with Bjorn Engels and Tyrone Mings forming a formidable partnership that has kept two clean sheets in six appearances, per the Premier League.

Therefore, they would have had to put in a very promising showing to prove their worth to Smith, but Konsa seemingly failed to do so.

The 21-year-old didn’t track Roberts as he gained a yard on the Villa man to head home their consolation goal.

Konsa also failed to register a single tackle or interception in the match and was dribbled past on one occasion, per SofaScore.

Despite playing the entire game, he failed to make his mark which only puts his hopes at gaining a shot amongst Villa’s Premier League line up in flames.

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Brighton boss Graham Potter named an entirely new XI to the one that drew at Newcastle United on Saturday, a side that had an average age of just a little over 21 suggesting it was primarily the youth setup involved.

Konsa’s showing is far from what would have been expected, especially if he’s wanting to break into the first-team picture anytime soon.

West Ham fans are beginning to accept life without Lukasz Fabianksi, who faces up to three months on the sidelines, with some deciding to show support for Roberto.

The Spanish keeper has not enjoyed the best start to his Hammers career, conceding four against Oxford in the League Cup second round, leading some fans to call for Nathan Trott to be recalled from his loan to play ahead of him, despite the fact he is only 20 years of age.

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However, it looks very likely that, as the number two in the squad, Roberto will get the nod from Manuel Pellegrini to start for the foreseeable future, and therefore there is a section of supporters who are choosing to back him.

They hope the support shown will help to maintain the positive attitude at the club and improved performances from the 31-year-old.

When he last played regularly, in 2017/18, he made 34 La Liga appearances and conceded 51 goals, which suggests he could be dependable for the Hammers, and the reactions below show there is some faith in his ability.

Real Madrid will surely have to go back to the drawing board after their horrible display against PSG.

Los Blancos suffered a huge 3-0 defeat at Parc des Princes as Zinedine Zidane continued his struggles at the helm.

Fans, naturally, have not taken too kindly to the result, and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has come under fire.

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Obviously, the former Chelsea goalkeeper conceded three times throughout the encounter and has generally endured a poor start to the campaign.

Indeed, the club have yet to keep a clean sheet in La Liga, with Courtois conceding six goals in four games.

Many of them seem to think the 27-year-old is just not good enough for Real and they described his display as “embarrassing” while claiming that he is the “definition of a joke”.

The Belgium international will certainly have to improve as the season progresses, with Real now looking to bounce back in group games against Galatasaray and Club Brugge.

Check out some of the best reaction below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur’s bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been revealed by the Portuguese club’s president, Frederico Varandes, per the club’s official website.

What’s the word?

Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the Portugal international in the summer transfer window.

In 2018/19, Fernandes enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions and registering 18 assists.

An exceptional attacking midfielder, he has already scored twice and registered four assists this season, though Spurs ended up signing Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis instead of the 24-year-old.

And Varandes has now revealed how Spurs’ offer was structured.

He said: “We managed to maintain Sporting CP’s greatest sporting value, Bruno Fernandes, and we were able give greater balance and solutions (to the squad). So we think this group is more competitive, has more solutions and has more quality than last season.

“It was ‘impossible’ to retain Bruno Fernandes, but we did it.

“We prepared for his sale by putting a fair price on his worth, and we had bids, but only a Tottenham offer that was €45m (£40.3m) plus €20m (£17.9m) in bonuses – winning the English League and the Champions League. Finding these goals difficult, I understood not to accept.”

A cheeky bid

Sporting were only ever going to get £40.3m for Fernandes.

Spurs are unlikely to topple Manchester City or Liverpool any time soon, such is their financial might and astonishing quality of their playing squads.

Yes, the club reached the Champions League final last season but it remains to be seen if that was a miracle or if it can be repeated.

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Tabling such a bid made sense, of course, with Spurs attempting to spread the cost of his signing.

But Sporting were not willing to have the wool pulled over their eyes; they were right to snub Spurs’ advances.

They may never have another chance to bring Fernandes into the club.

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Nacho Monreal has been a great servant for Arsenal over the years.

Since joining from La Liga outfit Malaga in 2013, the former Spain international has made 251 appearances for the Gunners and contributed to three FA Cup wins during that time.

However, he is now 33 years old and is not getting any younger. Recent speculation has linked him with a move to Real Sociedad before the end of the transfer window, and it is now even thought that the north London outfit are willing to let the defender leave if he wishes to do so.

AFTV’s Robbie has his say on Arsenal’s owners in the video below…

Following his performance on Saturday against Liverpool, it may be the perfect time for the two to part ways.

Monreal lined up at left-back as part of a back four against the Reds and contributed little to his team, whether it be in defence or going forward.

Throughout the game, he was unable to create a single chance or complete a single dribble during the 90 minutes, which you would hope your full-back would be able to do at least once these days. 1 shot off target and a 75% pass accuracy, which only Ainsley Maitland-Niles was unable to do better than, is not good enough either.

Against Liverpool, teams will generally be on the back foot, and so strong defensive performances are required. However, Monreal’s showing in that department left a lot to be desired. He made no tackles during the match, with only centre-back David Luiz also drawing a blank. It is easier said than done to face Mohamed Salah, but a few challenges is surely the minimum required.

With such poor stats, it was no surprise to see him pick up a WhoScored rating of 5.77, the lowest of any player on the pitch. Whilst it may have been against the European champions, Monreal seemed out of his depth and his best now looks well and truly behind him. Amidst those recent aforementioned rumours, now is as good a time as any to move him on.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football Insider, Leeds United’s recruitment team have been blown away by in-demand defensive target Enzo Valentim, and director of football Victor Orta would be pulling off a blinding deal by bringing him to Elland Road.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Football Insider report that the Yorkshire outfit are keeping close tabs on the 18-year-old, who made his breakthrough for Reims II last season.

The report says that Orta is ready to make a move for the France youth international to persuade him move to Elland Road before the transfer window slams shut next month, with Championship rivals Stoke City and Champions League holders Liverpool also keen.

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He is said to have clocked up 36 first-team appearances already, including two at right-back for Reims II in Ligue 2 last term.

Blinding signing

Football Insider report that he is regarded as a player who can feature at a very high level in his homeland, and the fact that Liverpool are circling tells you all you need to know about how promising he is.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

While Leeds are in a situation where they want promotion next season, it doesn’t mean they should ignore the opportunity to bring fresh talent for the future to Elland Road.

Valentim may only be 18 years of age and could easily begin his Whites career with the U23s, but the report says he could also be fast-tracked to the first team if he impressed Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentine has shown previously that he isn’t afraid to blood youngsters if they are performing and are capable – Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton are just two examples of that.

That clearer pathway could be key to persuading Valentim to join the Yorkshire club rather than Liverpool where competition for places if more fierce, and now Orta shouldn’t waste any time in ensuring Leeds win the race for the teenager’s signature given how impressed the recruitment team is.

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Rangers fans are pleased to hear the club have extended the contract of Cammy Palmer to the summer of 2021, a one year extension on his previous deal at Ibrox.

The club announced the news on Thursday, with the young midfielder now well placed to try and force his way into manager Steven Gerrard’s long-term plans.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Palmer is a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room at youth level, currently captaining the club’s reserve team, winning the league trophy together last season.

Rangers have withdrawn from the Scottish reserve league for the upcoming season but will test themselves in a series of challenge matches against other sides around Europe.

The 19-year-old will also be looking to impress Gerrard during their training camp in Portugal next week.

Rangers fans are pleased to hear an influential member of the development squad has impressed enough to earn a new contract, taking to Twitter to share their thoughts this week…

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As of yet, there are still no signings to speak of at Anfield, and according to Bleacher Report, we should not expect a flurry of arrivals for the Champions League winners. Today’s Reds transfer roundup includes an update on the future of a youth team goalkeeper, a blow in the pursuit of a star full-back and news on the situation regarding one of the club’s strikers.

Grabara to be loaned out

According to Football Insider, Jurgen Klopp is prepared to loan out goalkeeper Kamil Grabara this summer. The 20-year-old Polish U21 international is expected to leave on a short-term basis as he continues his development, having only featured for Liverpool’s U23 side so far in his career.

Sessegnon blow

Ryan Sessegnon wants to stay in London despite interest from Liverpool according to Bleacher Report. The Fulham youngster has been scouted by the Reds but is reportedly on course to join Tottenham instead this summer.

Origi to stay at Anfield this summer

Belgian Divock Origi will not be sold this summer according to ESPN. The player has just one year left on his contract, but Liverpool are not worried about the situation and are even prepared to let the £18m-rated striker leave on a free transfer next year.

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Today’s Gunners transfer roundup includes the confirmed loan of a youngster, an update in regards to the future of a 23-year-old midfielder and interest in a Real Madrid ace.

Osei-Tutu joins Bochum

Arsenal have confirmed that Jordi Osei-Tutu will leave the club on loan for the duration on the next season. The 20-year-old full-back will join Bundesliga.2 side VfL Bochum.

Torreira update

The Telegraph is reporting that Lucas Torreira is happy at Arsenal and is not looking for a move away this summer. Reports had hinted that Torreira wanted to return to Serie A, with AC Milan very interested, but sources close to the 23-year-old Uruguayan have rubbished those claims.

Arsenal after Ceballos

According to AS, Arsenal are prepared the €50m (£44.8m) fee required to bring in Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. Bitter north London rivals Tottenham have also been linked with the 22-year-old, who has represented Spain on six occasions.

This post led to Bournemouth striker Joshua King commenting.

The two spent their early careers in Manchester, Boyata with City from 2009-15 and King with United from 2009-13.

Both were young players at the time, at big clubs, in a fantastic city and with newly found wealth, so it is no wonder that, despite playing for rival clubs, they became close with one another.

In their time at both City and United they made 13 league appearances between them, and they were all Boyata’s.

Several loan-moves for both happened before King made the move to Blackburn in 2013 and then Bournemouth in 2015.

King, now 27-years-old, has had a superb time at Bournemouth, scoring 44 goals in 143 games.

He has finally converted his natural talent into goals for The Cherries and has now cemented himself as a solid Premier League striker.

Boyata, on the other hand, joined The Bhoys in 2015 for £1.5m and has gone on to make 135 appearances and contributed with a handy 15 goals.

During his time in Glasgow he has won nine trophies and established himself as one of the best defenders in the SPFL.

Contract negotiations, however, fell through last season and the 28-year-old has decided to move to Berlin.

Boyata, though, picked up one last SPFL Title and, on Saturday, he has the chance of picking up the Scottish Cup once again.