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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has suggested that a formation change could be the answer to the Villans’ problems.

Villa are currently on a bad run of form, coinciding with the absence of captain Jack Grealish, and are really struggling in the final third.

Dean Smith’s side failed to score last time out in a 2-0 defeat against Tottenham, meaning that they have now registered just two goals in their last five Premier League fixtures.

This lack of proficiency in front of goal will come as a huge concern to Smith, and Hendrie believes a move away from the team’s current formation may be necessary while Grealish remains unavailable.

When discussing how Villa can get out of the current slump that they are in, Hendrie told FFC:

“Spurs were there for the taking. I think they [Villa] just lacked that little dimension that, you know, Jack has, [the ability to] bring something out of nothing.

“I’m all for that he needs to tweak the formation when Jack’s not available because they’re missing that little bit of cutting edge going forward. For all the good play, getting into the final third, they’re not creating enough chances, hence they’re not scoring enough goals at this moment in time.”

The Villans take on Fulham next when the Premier League returns, where Smith will be hoping for more from the likes of Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet, especially if Grealish is still unavailable.

Liverpool could be set to add another midfielder to their ranks in the summer by signing Sheffield United’s Sander Berge.

According to EuroSport, the Reds have cast their eye over the Norwegian ahead of a potential move following the Blades’ inevitable relegation to the Championship.

Having already dubbed Berge as a “very interesting” player following a UEFA Champions League meeting between the Merseysiders and the midfielder’s former club Genk, it is clear Jurgen Klopp is a fan, which could be a huge blow to academy graduate Curtis Jones.

With any potential arrival of a midfielder in the summer, let alone one Klopp has praised himself, it could see the 20-year-old’s first-team chances reduce.

He already has plenty of competition in that department from the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho, who are without a doubt the Reds’ starting midfielder trio at the current time.

They then have plenty of options waiting in the wings in the forms of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner, whilst Jordan Henderson’s return from a long-term groin issue will see competition intensify even more.

This competition will only be exacerbated with the arrival of £32k-per-week Berge.

Whilst it could be argued that Jones is under no threat of losing his place in the Liverpool squad due to his immense talent, with the midfielder having already started 21 games in all competitions this season, his phasing out has already begun.

Following the return of Fabinho to the centre of midfield, Jones’ opportunities have been limited. He has not played a single minute in each of Liverpool’s last three matches in all competitions, possibly indicating that he is the most expendable of Jurgen Klopp’s current options.

The Reds youngster then will hope this is a trend that does not continue even if the club elects to bolster their midfield with the signing of Berge, it would be a devastating blow to the England U21 star if it does.

AND in more news, take a look at our analysis of Diogo Jota’s sparkling showing against his former club Wolves on Monday…

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa may have suffered a major transfer howler as news emerges from behind the scenes at Elland Road about Robin Koch.

What’s the story?

The Germany international only arrived in the summer from Bundesliga side Freiburg, but has seen his debut campaign in the Premier League be disrupted heavily by injuries – he’s played just 14 times in the top-flight.

Now, Football Insider claim that Bielsa fears the centre-back doesn’t have what it takes to be a real success in the Premier League, and that while he regards him as a fine player, there is a real hole in his game.

The report suggests that “there is a sense at Thorp Arch he is ‘too soft’ to thrive in the Premier League” and that he “doesn’t like the aerial challenges” – it’s even claimed that “this weakness is considered by the coaching staff to be a major issue”.

Radrizzani won’t be happy

While Koch certainly hasn’t been helped by the fact injuries have plagued his first season in English football, it’s a damning indictment on his ability that Bielsa and Leeds’ coaching staff already feel he might not be cut out for the Premier League.

Given that the Whites spent around £13m to beat Tottenham to his signing in the summer, the news that the club feel like they may have made a mistake, or at least not done their homework properly on him in scouting him, surely won’t have Andrea Radrizzani happy.

The Leeds owner splashed the cash in bringing Koch and fellow centre-back Diego Llorente into the club in order to reinforce the centre of defence ahead of the Whites’ return to the Premier League.

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For the club to now have second thoughts on one of their big-money acquisitions just months into his career at Elland Road must surely go down as a major howler.

Meanwhile, Leeds could make an exciting swoop for this Bundesliga star…

A number of Liverpool supporters are keen for the Reds to sign Leicester City hero Youri Tielemans this summer, following an excellent season.

The Reds are likely to dip into the transfer market this summer, bringing a freshness to Jurgen Klopp’s squad after a difficult campaign.

Gini Wijnaldum continues to be linked with an exit at the end of the season, with the Dutchman mainly tipped to join compatriot Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.

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Should he move on, the need for midfield reinforcements will be clear, especially with Jordan Henderson, Thiago and James Milner all now in their 30s.

According to Calciomercato [via The Anfield Buzz], Liverpool and Barca are eyeing up a move for Tielemans, who has shone for Leicester this season, proving to be an influential performer.

The Belgian famously scored a stunning winner in last weekend’s FA Cup final win over Chelsea, while Pep Guardiola has hailed him as ‘top class’ in the past.

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Liverpool fans want Tielemans at Anfeld

These Liverpool fans are fully behind the idea of Tielemans joining the Reds, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“Not gonna happen but OK! I’m a big fan”

Credit: @Bonalbio24

“They should try and swap him with Keita, I’d even give them a bit money for this”

Credit: @BlerandDragusha

“I’ll pay for him myself”

Credit: @klopponation

“My career mode is coming alive”

Credit: @babuuni15

“Swap deal with Keita plus money?”

Credit: @mrdude2304

“No brainer! Replacement for Hendo and Milner…and Gini”

Credit: @Eric61342617

In other news, some Liverpool fans are deeply unhappy ahead of Sunday’s vital clash with Crystal Palace. Find out why here.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that the Villans have considered loaning out striker Keinan Davis on more than one occasion.

Davis helped Villa turn things around against Fulham earlier this month after he came off the bench to assist Trezeguet’s second goal of the game which made it 2-1, before Ollie Watkins finally put the nail in the coffin.

Undoubtedly, it was a match where Davis showed his quality and what he has to offer, perhaps giving manager Dean Smith something to think about going forward.

Things, however, could have ended so differently, with Hendrie revealing that the 23-year-old has had opportunities to go out on loan.

On Davis, the ex-Villa player told FFC:

“I know they like him. I know they like him, hence they’ve kept hold of him. He could have gone out on loan a few times and they’ve kept hold of him. I know the striker situation has been a bit of an issue there, but when he’s come on he hasn’t let the team down.”

There is probably a long way to go until Davis can start to really stake a claim for a starting spot in Villa’s XI, with top scorer Watkins currently standing in his way.

However, as he showed against Fulham, the Englishman can certainly have an impact off the bench.

Southampton have been linked with a move for Celtic centre-back Leo Hjelde and if he were to join Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, it could prove to be a repeat of the deal that saw the Saints sign Virgil van Dijk from the Hoops in 2015.

According to The Scottish Sun, Southampton are keeping tabs on the teenage centre-back, who is impressing out on loan at Ross County this season.

The 17-year-old joined Celtic from Rosenborg in the summer of 2019 and whilst he is yet to make his senior debut for the Hoops, the fact he has been a regular in the Premiership this season at Ross County highlights his obvious potential.

The centre-back has made nine appearances in total for John Hughes’ side since joining in January, which is impressive when you consider that they are currently embroiled in a relegation battle, which is when you would normally expect a manager to call on some of his more experienced players, rather than a 17-year-old loanee.

However, Hughes has clearly been impressed with Hjelde this season and was full of praise for him after he scored in their 3-2 win against Kilmarnock in March, saying:

“I’m delighted for Leo. He found himself out of the team a little bit, then came on there and got his goal. He’s destined for big, big, big things. He won’t be far away from the Celtic first-team when he goes back.”

Whilst Hjelde is just 17-years-old, and it is impossible to predict whether he will go on to have a successful career or not, there are obvious similarities to the deal that saw Van Dijk join Southampton six years ago, as he is a centre-back who would be joining Southampton from Celtic.

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The Dutch superstar joined for £13m and impressed on the South Coast before joining Liverpool and going on to become one of, if not the world’s best, centre-back with the Reds.

The Norwegian defender also already stands at 6 ft 2, so could easily keep growing, and it is clear that he has not been overawed playing men’s football at such an early age, which is certainly promising for his future.

The fact he has been tipped to play a part for Celtic next season suggests that he has a lot of potential and perhaps wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League in the not too distant future.

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Therefore, if Southampton can snap him up before he starts to attract heavy interest, there’s no reason why they couldn’t have another player similar to Van Dijk on their hands again if Hjelde can realise his potential with the Saints.

And, in other news… Forget Winks: Southampton should swoop for “outstanding” £16.2m-rated beast 

Charlton Athletic will hope to extend their unbeaten run to six games on Saturday as they take on AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane. A win could take them further into a playoff contention spot, potentially jumping above fifth-placed Doncaster.

The Addicks came away with all three points against relegation-threatened Bristol Rovers on Tuesday,  scoring a late goal to seal a 3-2 victory. First half goals from Andrew Shinnie and Jake Forster-Caskey cancelled out their opposition’s two goal lead before Conor Washington found the back of the net in the 84th minute.

It seems as though new manager Nigel Adkins will be without injured duo Ryan Inniss and Marcus Maddison in his first game in charge, but they have no new absentees leading up to this fixture. Adkins was appointed on Thursday after Lee Bowyer left the managerial position for Birmingham City.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Adkins to line his side up against AFC Wimbledon, with two changes from the team which started against Bristol Rovers in midweek…

Ben Amos is expected to retain his place in between the sticks, despite not putting in a great performance on Wednesday. Wimbledon have scored the second fewest goals this season in League One, so he shouldn’t be in for too much trouble tomorrow afternoon.

Their back four is expected to remain the same, with Ian Maatsen, Jason Pearce, Akin Famewo and Chris Gunter all keeping their places in the starting lineup. Out of all the teams in the top of half the league table, Charlton have conceded the highest number of goals, and so Adkins will want his defence to sharpen up if they are to withhold a playoff position.

Jake Forster-Caskey and Liam Millar will most likely keep their places in their midfield, but we could see Ben Watson come back in to add more solidarity and experience. Andrew Shinnie should also start again after an impressive performance in midweek.

Conor Washington has now scored four goals from his last three games and should definitely be in Adkins’ starting XI on Saturday. 27-year-old Chuks Aneke comes in for Jayden Stockley after missing out on a starting place against Reading. Aneke is the club’s top goalscorer in this campaign with 12 goals.

Crystal Palace have been handed a fresh blow in their quest to find their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to former Celtic winger Davie Provan, Eddie Howe won’t be going to the Eagles this summer as his move to Parkhead is a “done deal.” He told Go Radio (via Daily Record):

“I don’t think for a moment Dermot Desmond would have exposed himself to the possibility of being embarrassed by Eddie Howe. And Eddie Howe himself has chosen not to rule himself out. So reading between the lines I think there’s an agreement, I think it’s a done deal,” he said.

Provan later added: “I don’t think for a moment that Eddie Howe is going to take a Crystal Palace, I don’t think Dermot Desmond would leave himself open to that embarrassment.”

Huge blow

Only last month, Football Insider reported that the former Bournemouth manager was on Palace’s three-man shortlist and had even held talks with Steve Parish and the club’s hierarchy. If that’s true, then the Selhurst Park owner and CEO is in line for a devastating blow following these fresh claims that Howe is heading for the Glasgow giants.

The Eagles still do not know who will be in charge next season, as with Roy Hodgson’s contract set to expire, the 73-year-old veteran seems likely to be heading for the exit.

Palace were set to be boosted by the fact that Howe was ‘not close’ to any club and was waiting until the summer to decide his future, but the comments from Provan are hard to ignore.

The 43-year-old was largely the mastermind behind the Cherries’ rise through the leagues – across two stints on the south coast, he took charge of 454 matches, winning 42% of those. That is a better return than Hodgson at Palace, with the former England boss managing a poor win rate of just 33%.

Howe, a three-time winner of the Premier League’s ‘Manager of the Month’ award, managed to keep Bournemouth in the top flight for four straight seasons until their unfortunate relegation last year, but in reality, they were always punching above their weight under him.

To lose out on him is certainly a blow to Parish considering he was amongst his top three options. He will likely be gutted that the 43-year-old appears Celtic-bound.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Crystal Palace managerial hunt, it’s bad news for Parish…

Details have been shared on a key Premier League decision in the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

As per the British and Irish Legal Information Institute website (via The Chronicle), the English top flight were ‘provisionally minded’ to conclude that the Gulf country would become a director at the St. James’ Park faithful as part of a proposed takeover in 2020.

This is despite insistence from the prospective buyers that the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would be in charge instead of them, insisting the two parties are separate entities.

The league wrote a letter to the Magpies on June 12th after the division’s governing body concluded that the KSA ‘would become a director’ at the North East club. The latter disputed this conclusion which is why an arbitration hearing is needed.

There were a list of reasons why the PL were ‘provisionally minded’ to come to the conclusion, in which Judge Mark Pelling says is ‘the sole issue’ that needs to be settled in the upcoming arbitration case, to see ‘whether this conclusion is correct’.

Arbitration should make things clearer

There is clearly a stand-off between the Tyneside club and the Premier League over whether the KSA government and PIF can be considered as separate entities or not.

The pending arbitration case should settle this dispute, and thus make things a little bit clearer as to what direction the potential takeover is heading.

Nonetheless, members of the Toon Army will be hoping that NUFC win the case, which could prove to be a step further in potentially reviving the original deal between Mike Ashley and the consortium.

In other news, find out what PIF claim has been dropped by a finance guru on the potential takeover here!

David Moyes has been dealt a blow in West Ham United’s rumoured pursuit of Moussa Marega, with Fenerbahce SK keen to sign the FC Porto striker.

What’s the word?

According to A Bola, Marega’s services have never left the thoughts of the Fenerbahce leadership as the Super Lig giants line up a wealth of changes to Emre Belozoglu’s side.

The Yellow Canaries intend to complete a vast overhaul of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium squad in the summer in order to attack the Super Lig and Europe at full strength next term.

West Ham had been linked with a potential move to sign Marega in the next transfer window, as Moyes weighs up his options to add depth behind Michail Antonio following Sebastien Haller’s January exit.

Marega is now said to be a high priority for Fenerbahce as the Mali international is set to leave Porto as a free agent at the end of the season, and discussions with Porto over new terms are yet to return a satisfactory offer.

It had been expected that the Dragoes would soon announce Marega’s renewal as the striker is a key weapon in Sergio Conceicao’s arsenal, with the only hold up being the wait for the arrival of his agent.

But no progress has been made following the offer of a two-year deal that would have seen Marega remain one of the highest earners at the Estadio do Dragao. The 29-year-old currently earns £34,000-per-week.

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Reports in Turkey last month had suggested that Fenerbahce offered Marega a €1.5m-a-season (£24.5k-p/w) contract to move to Istanbul as a free agent, which Portuguese publication O Jogo later dismissed.

Should West Ham sign Porto’s Marega?

Moyes will be well aware of his need to sign a striker in the summer after opting against reinvesting the £20m made from Haller joining AFC Ajax, and leaving Antonio as West Ham’s only out-and-out senior centre-forward.

Marega would represent a solid option for the Irons to target and acquire proven depth, but will seemingly have to go toe-to-toe with Fenerbahce and Porto in order to sign the 24-cap Mali international.

The Yellow Canaries and Dragoes seem increasingly keen on having the £12.5m-rated machine in their attack next season, although Marega’s long-held desires to one day play in the Premier League may yet work in the Hammers’ advantage.

A salary in the region of the alleged £24.5k-p/w offer from Fenerbahce and his current £34k-p/w Porto deal would also not be expected to hinder West Ham’s position, with Spotrac figures showing that only Vladimir Coufal (£30k-p/w), Said Benrahma (£23k-p/w) and Ben Johnson (£19k-p/w) currently earn less among Moyes’ first-team regulars.

Adding Marega into that mix would see the Irons land a striker who has scored 71 goals and offered 33 assists in 182 games for Porto across all competitions, including eight in 22 Champions League fixtures and helping to eliminate Juventus in the Round of 16 last month – in fact, his career goal total stands at an impressive 114.

That seems like very good depth to bring in behind Antonio without David Sullivan having to get his cheque book out to pay Porto for their striker, who has been protected by a €40m (£34m) release clause since 2018 and is nicknamed the ‘Terminator’.

AND in other news, West Ham are in a three-way Premier League battle for a 6 ft 6 titan with “all the attributes”…