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Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has two months left of the summer transfer window to build a squad that will be capable of matching or improving on their seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season.

The Villans have already snapped up Belgian international midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from relegated Leicester City and they are now closing in on a new central defender.

Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that the club are set to sign Villarreal star Pau Torres for an initial fee of €32.5m (£28m), with his medical set to be completed in the coming weeks after the Spaniard returns from his holiday.

Emery could land a dream partner for the left-footed ace by signing reported transfer target Gleison Bremer, who is valued at around €50m (£43m), from Juventus.

What is Gleison Bremer's style of play?

The Brazil international is a throwback defender who excels at box defending without being exceptional in possession, which is why he could work perfectly with Torres.

Bremer ranks in the bottom 5% of players in his position among the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for progressive passes per 90. The £28m Spaniard, however, ranks among the top 4% and is in the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, while the Old Lady ace is within the bottom 16% in that regard.

These statistics suggest that Torres is one of the best centre-backs in Europe when it comes to progressing play out from the back to advance his team up the pitch, through dribbles or passes, whereas the Juventus stopper seemingly plays it safe more often than not.

However, the 26-year-old Brazilian, who averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 in the Serie A last season, makes up for his lack of quality on the ball with his excellent defensive attributes.

Bremer, who former Torino team-mate Mergim Vojvoda described as an "animal", has averaged 5.69 interceptions, blocks, and aerial battles won per 90 over the last 365 days, in comparison to Torres' 3.18 for Villarreal.

The Spain international ranks below the average among his positional peers in all three statistics, whereas the Serie A titan is above the average in all of them – including in the top 12% for blocks.

This could make them the perfect central defensive pairing for Villa as they would have a right-footed defensive-minded stopper who can defend the box expertly next to a cultured left-footed ball player who can start attacks with his ability in possession.

Sadio Mane hasn't exactly hit top form since joining Bayern Munich from Liverpool last summer, having endured a difficult first season.

Looking to replace Robert Lewandowski last year, the Bundesliga turned to a Premier League, Champions League and Golden Boot winner in a transfer costing just £35m. If that didn't look like good business at the time, then we're not sure what does.

One year later, however, that transfer has been utterly underwhelming. Indeed, it's been a fairly disastrous spell for the forward so far in Germany.

What went wrong for Sadio Mane in his first season at Bayern Munich?

It seemed controversial at the time, when Liverpool so willingly let Mane leave the club. But, ultimately, this was and still is a player on the decline, as shown at Bayern.

During his first season in Germany, the Senegal international scored just 12 goals in 38 games, whilst also recording just six assists. Injury issues may have gotten in the way at times, but numbers like that for a star signing remain a disappointing read.

If the statistics weren't damming enough, a bust-up with teammate Leroy Sane really summed things up for Mane, who got into a physical confrontation after Bayern's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League last eight, before being fined and suspended by the club.

For Bayern, as a whole, it was a strange season, however, it must be said. The Bavarians ruthlessly dismissed Julian Nagelsmann late in the season and were very nearly made to pay as Thomas Tuchel only just guided the club to a dramatic title win on the final day.

Mane voted most disappointing player by fellow players

In what is a rather brutal vote, as shared by Kicker (via Reddit), fellow Bundesliga players take part in a Player of the Season vote, which sounds fairly standard, before you realise that it also includes a vote for the biggest disappointment of the season.

Picking up that unwanted 'award' in the season just gone was Mane with a staggering 41.7% of the votes. Something tells us the next team meeting will be an awkward one at Bayern.

The forward was one of five Bayern players to make the vote, with Joshua Kimmich receiving 7.5%, Sane receiving 3.6%, Goretzka 3.2%, and Dayot Upemecano tallying up 1.6% of the votes.

It seems that, despite ultimately winning the title, the champions of Germany had themselves a pretty difficult season.

Elsewhere, Randal Kolo Muani picked up the best Player of the Season accolade with 24.2% of the vote.

Arsenal look set to undergo a summer overhaul ahead of next season as Mikel Arteta aims to add some much-needed quality to his first-team squad.

Not only are the likes of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice being strongly linked with potential moves but there are also some players who could be saying goodbye to the club in the coming weeks.

Granit Xhaka looks set to leave Arsenal this summer, with Bayer Leverkusen interested in luring him back to the Bundesliga, while fellow midfielder Thomas Partey could also be departing the Emirates, with Fabrizio Romano stating: “Understand there’s concrete chance for Thomas Partey to leave Arsenal this summer. Clubs are interested and there are discussions about his exit.”

With two key players from last term looking like they won’t play again for the Gunners, it will now be up to Arteta to replace them properly. Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia could be the ideal replacement for the Ghanaian, with Romano claiming that “talks already took place” in regard to a potential move for the youngster.

Could Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia this summer?

Bolstering his midfield has to be the Spaniard’s priority this summer, especially with Xhaka and Partey potentially leaving, and a move for Lavia could certainly numb the blow of losing those two.

Despite the Saints being relegated from the Premier League, ending their ten-year spell in the top flight, Lavia was arguably one of their only bright sparks during a woeful season.

The former Manchester City starlet particularly showcased his defensive abilities, ranking second for tackles per game (2.1) and seventh for interceptions per game (1.1) across the Southampton squad, while also achieving an overall Sofascore rating of 6.8/10, enough to place him eighth in the first team, a solid enough showing considering he only turned 19 in January.

The teen also features alongside some fairly illustrious company in terms of winning possession in the midfield third across Europe’s top five leagues, finishing second behind Moises Caicedo, while ahead of Jude Bellingham having won possession 114 times in that area of the pitch, showcasing his ball-winning qualities.

Having this defensive solidity in the heart of the midfield could be key for Arsenal next term, and would allow the likes of Martin Odegaard to flourish, giving them more freedom going forward, knowing that Lavia will be there sweeping everything up and screening the defence.

The midfielder is valued at £45m by the south coast side, yet having been lauded as someone who is “always calm on the ball” by Jean Kindermans, the head of the Anderlecht academy, and dubbed an “absolute monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick, it’s evident Arteta should be making his move sooner rather than later.

Arsenal remain interested in a number of key men, with a fresh update having been dropped on Tuesday…

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

Writing in The Telegraph, journalist Sam Dean sought to outline the summer transfer plans of Mikel Arteta and Edu in what could be a groundbreaking window to shorten the gap between them and the treble-winning Manchester City.

Whilst the main information in the report is regarding Nicolas Pepe's supposed exit, as well as the nearing completion of the Declan Rice deal, it does also suggest that once the West Ham United star is welcomed to north London, they will turn their attention towards prying Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, with an offer being prepared.

Their interest remains from those two failed bids in January, and despite the Ecuador international having signed a new deal since, the Seagulls will reportedly demand at least £70m.

To sign both of these Premier League midfield monsters would be a huge statement of intent from the Gunners.

How good would Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice be together?

With the notion that these two will join as a midfield partnership together, it is easy to see why Arteta sees them as complementary assets who would bring out the best in one another.

As Rice has grown in stature over the years, shining as captain of the Hammers and an instrumental cog in the England setup, his creative qualities have been emphasised this term too.

It is this offensive impetus that would offer a fine balance alongside Caicedo, who would offer a platform for such exploits.

The 24-year-old scored five goals and assisted four more in all competitions as the Irons comfortably avoided the drop and won the Europa Conference League. It seems like the fairytale ending for the England international, who can now depart the London Stadium having truly given his all to the club that first gave him a football career.

However, if he is to shine as the centrepiece of this new-look engine room, bursting forward towards the penalty area with aplomb, the 21-year-old alternative cannot be ignored for the work he will get through behind Rice.

A tireless yet classy presence in the heart of midfield, Caicedo's 7.08 average rating this term gives way to 2.7 tackles, 1.2 key passes, and 1.5 interceptions per game, via Sofascore, with such defensive aptitude potentially allowing Rice to go about his business in the final third.

Such relentless energy even led South American football expert Tim Vickery to brand him a "terrific athlete".

To place these two in midfield would be yet another Arteta masterstroke, pairing hard work and quality with both defensive and attacking boosts.

This is even without mentioning their youth, and the fact they could hold down their spots for the next decade of what could be a dominant period should they topple Pep Guardiola's history makers.

Newcastle United are considering a swoop for Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips, with the Tyneside club looking to bolster the ranks after qualifying for the Champions League.

What's the latest on Kalvin Phillips to Newcastle?

According to the Telegraph, Toon technical director Dan Ashworth is pursuing a move for the England international but has been left frustrated by the player's desire to stay at the Etihad Stadium and fight for his place next season.

Recently touted at £35m, the 27-year-old has only started for Pep Guardiola's outfit four times across all competitions this term after completing a £45m transfer from Leeds United last summer.

Despite the midfielder's public desire to remain in Manchester, the Magpies' offer of a starring role could be too enticing to resist as the transfer window takes centre-stage, especially if Guardiola is unable to provide Phillips with assurances over the number of minutes he will be provided next year.

Should Newcastle sign Kalvin Phillips?

Despite flattering to deceive with the Premier League champions – though his impact at the club was hampered by detrimental early injury issues that sidelined him for much of the first phase of the season – Phillips is a proven midfield titan on top-flight soil.

Instrumental for Leeds in reclaiming a spot among England's elite and starring during a resounding 20/21 term where the entertaining Whites clinched ninth place – just three points away from European qualification – the £160k-per-week ace cemented himself as one of the most robust midfielders in the division.

Indeed, across those two campaigns, Phillips completed 82% and 84.5% of his passes, 2.6 and 2.7 tackles per game and 1.2 and 0.5 key passes per outing, as per WhoScored.

Former teammate Barry Douglas said, "as a defensive midfielder with an array of passing skills, Kalvin Phillips is probably the best I’ve played with", while former Whites boss Neil Redfearn remarked, "Bielsa has made Kalvin an expert deep-lying midfielder but he could do both roles.”

With Magpies boss Eddie Howe seeking to bolster his midfield this summer, Phillips could be a shrewd alternative to touted West Ham United star Declan Rice, with the £100m-valued man attracting attention from a plethora of top European outfits, including Newcastle, ahead of the forthcoming transfer window.

Rice has been lauded as an "absolute monster" by ESPN UK editor David Cartlidge and ranks among the top 20% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes, the top 15% for progressive carries, the top 5% for interceptions and the top 17% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

Phillips is capable of replicating such metrics, evidenced in the Premier League with Leeds, notably ranking in the top 8% of midfielders in the division throughout 2021/22 for tackles and interceptions combined.

Provided license to cement a prominent role at St. James' Park, he might just harness the full might of his skill set.

Newcastle United could be set for another summer of spending to bolster their impressive squad after securing Champions League football next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Tino Livramento?

According to The NUFC Blog, Newcastle are plotting a move for Southampton star Valentino Livramento this summer.

As per the report, the club's hierarchy have been in contact with representatives of the talented full-back and are also interested in his teammate Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Livramento is represented by the same football agency – Wasserman – as Eddie Howe and Newcastle stalwart Ryan Fraser, so it is claimed that clear lines of communication have been made in pursuit of the player.

Would Livramento be a good signing for Newcastle?

It is no secret that Howe is a big believer in nurturing young English talent, something he proved during his tenure at Bournemouth and has started to implement in his current team with England U21s international Anthony Gordon the latest to join the fold at St James' Park.

As a result, the signing of Livramento – who has a reported price tag of £40m – would make perfect sense for the Magpies manager and could even be the rightful heir to Kieran Trippier's huge role in the team.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old – hailed a "great talent" by former Spurs ace Ledley King – suffered an ACL injury in April 2022 but did manage to return to the final two games of the season when Southampton had already confirmed relegation from the Premier League.

The rising star – who graduated from Chelsea's famous Cobham academy – played a key role in his breakout season with Saints over his 28 top-flight appearances, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating four big chances, as well as averaging 1.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.1 successful dribbles and 5.1 duels won per game, proving that when fit he is a consistent all-rounder on the right flank.

Indeed, the youngster is unlikely to come in and steal the starting spot from Trippier next season if he was to join the club this summer, however, with the England international now 32 years old and Livramento easing his way back into football after a horrific injury it could be the perfect opportunity to bring in an understudy who already has huge potential and top-flight experience.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Livramento would be a fantastic signing for the Magpies this summer and would give them a ready-made Trippier heir who can develop his craft and learn from one of the most experienced right-backs in the league to fulfil his true potential.

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison has finally spoken out after his side were relegated from the Premier League last weekend.

What has James Maddison said about Leicester's relegation?

It was an awful season for the Foxes. Even so, they still had survival hopes right up until the very last seconds of the final match.

Indeed, having beaten West Ham United 2-1 at home, they needed Everton to drop points against Bournemouth but the Toffees hung on to a 1-0 victory.

And so, just seven years on from lifting the Premier League title and only two on from winning the FA Cup, Maddison and co were relegated.

The Englishman had refrained from posting on his Instagram page in the time since but has now broken his silence with an honest assessment of things.

Indeed, he said: "Absolutely devastated to be relegated from the Premier League. I’ve took a bit of time to reflect on the outcome of the season and to be honest it doesn’t make it any easier at all.

"This will hurt for a very long time and probably stick with us all forever. But that’s life & it’s about how you bounce back from setbacks & failure and unfortunately that’s exactly what this season was.. a failure.

"We should never have been in the position we were, with the players we have. But we take responsibility for that & the negativity that comes with it & continue to stick together."

Who wants to buy James Maddison?

Of course, there will be a number of teams interested to read the tone of his message, to see if it gives away any clues about his future.

By the sounds of it though, the £110k-p/w midfielder is keeping his cards close to his chest. Indeed, this doesn't exactly read as a goodbye message even though he may well be leaving in the summer.

According to a number of reports in the media (collated on football.london), Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have all got an interest in signing the player.

As per the Daily Telegraph (via Independent), of those teams, Spurs are supposedly leading the race to land him right now but with the summer market yet to officially open there's still a long way to go.

While it seems Maddison has been coming to terms with his relegation over the past week, he'll likely soon turn his attention to what comes next in his career with a number of options on the table.

Graham Spiers has been left stunned by some news that has now emerged from Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: No beamback

As shared by The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane, Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson has claimed that it is ‘very unlikely’ that a beamback will be run for their UEFA Europa League final against Frankfurt, as most of the staff are going to be in Seville.

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He added that he simply does not think it would be ‘physically possible’.

The Latest: Spiers stunned

Taking to Twitter, Scottish football journalist Spiers was left stunned by Robertson’s news, claiming that it is ‘hard to believe’ and a ‘really bad call’ from the Teddy Bears:

“This is a really bad call by Rangers. Surely to goodness the club can sort a ‘live feed’ to fans back at Ibrox? Are there seriously no technicians or sparkies available to do it? Hard to believe.”

The Verdict: Disappointing

It is certainly disappointing to hear that there will be no beamback for the supporters unable to get to Seville, in what is one of their biggest games in their history.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team have done so well to get to the final, knocking out the likes of Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the process, and it would be a quite remarkable achievement should they go on and win the competition.

Nonetheless, this is a once in a lifetime chance for some fans to see their team in a major European final, and so they would all want to be together with friends and family to watch the match together.

In other news, find out what double injury boost Gers have now been gifted here!

Rangers striker Kemar Roofe is battling hard to be fit for the Europa League final. 

The lowdown

Rangers are due to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Seville showpiece in just eight days time. It’s a monumental fixture for the club, who haven’t featured in a European final since 2008 and have never won a continental competition.

Roofe hasn’t featured since the the 2-1 Scottish Cup semifinal victory over Celtic on 17 April.

He missed both legs of the Europa League semifinal against RB Leipzig through injury and has also been sidelined for the last three league matches.

Significantly, Rangers are also without another of their no. 9 options in Alfredo Morelos, whose season is already over because of a thigh problem.

Van Bronckhorst has, then, been providing regular updates on his fitness, with everyone around the club surely anxious to see if he’ll be available.

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The latest

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie, who’s also a contributor for Sky Sports News, relayed an update from GvB on Roofe’s fitness.

The striker ‘will push himself to be fit’ for the final because ‘all he wants’ is to feature.

What’s more, the club’s ‘medical staff will work hard’ to try to ensure that he’s ‘ready’.

The verdict

To make matters worse for Van Bronckhorst, stand-in no. 9 Joe Aribo suffered a head injury in the semifinal second leg against Leipzig.

Journalist Andrew Dickson says that Aribo could miss the clash with Frankfurt if he sustained a concussion.

The Nigerian played no part in the weekend victory over Dundee United, so it remains to be seen what kind of condition he’s in.

It could yet fall to Fashion Sakala to lead the line, and that would probably generate a mixed reaction.

The 25-year-old has bagged 11 goals this season, but some journalists have raised concerns about his all-round game.

In other news, Jordan Campbell reacts as key Rangers contract news emerges. 

Celtic could look to sign a striker in the summer transfer window even though it isn’t a ‘priority’, according to journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead for Celtic?

The Hoops are on the verge of regaining the Premiership title this season but Ange Postecoglou probably won’t be resting on his laurels moving forward.

He will surely want to keep improving his squad in the coming years, especially with Champions League football likely to come to Parkhead in 2022/23.

An update has now emerged regarding the possibility of Celtic strengthening in one particular position in the summer transfer window.

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The Latest: Joseph makes Celtic transfer claim

Taking to Twitter, Joseph hinted that signings a striker will be on the agenda for Celtic, as Postecoglou looks to add more firepower to his squad. The journalist claimed:

“I’d imagine they’ll be looking for a striker in the summer… unless Albian Ajeti bursts back onto the scene AND Ange Postecoglou sees Daizen Maeda as a striker long-term. Not a priority, though.”

The Verdict: Makes sense

As Joseph alludes to, it isn’t necessarily essential that a new striker comes in at Parkhead this summer. It certainly wouldn’t go amiss, though, with any team surely grateful to have a dependable goalscorer to call upon.

Liel Abada (10) is the only Celtic player to reach double figures in the league this season, and while the goals have been shared out healthily, bringing in a player who routinely breaks the 20-goal barrier in a campaign could take them up another level.

Whether Postecoglou actually pushes the boat out to sign a striker remains to be seen, though, with Joseph saying that it isn’t a priority and the manager perhaps believing that the transfer budget could be focused on strengthening other parts of the squad.

In other news, Celtic have been dealt a potential transfer blow. Read more here.