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According to The Daily Record, Aston Villa are still keen on Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna – the Scotsman was a target of Steve Bruce’s when the now Sheffield Wednesday manager was at the Villa helm – although one condition, in particular, should prove a sticking point for Dean Smith and co in any attempt to sign him.

What’s the word?

Well, The Daily Record reports the Dons value the centre-back at around £10m – almost three times what fellow SPFL outfit Celtic offered in the summer for his services – and that Villa still remain in the hunt.

Bruce attempted to bring the number 5 to Villa Park prior to the start of the season but the eight-figure valuation proved too much for the Midlands outfit to finance.

The versatile defender has made 21 appearances for Aberdeen in all competitions this season, scoring once and assisting another, and has also impressed on the international stage, where he has made three appearances in the Nations League.

Maybe in the summer, Scott

Aberdeen will refuse to accept any approach for the highly-rated 22-year-old that does not include returning him on loan for the remainder of the campaign – he is far too important to the club to lose with half the season still to play.

This should be a big red flag for Villa, who are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements immediately and not six months down the line while a deal would most likely consume most, if not all, of their transfer budget this month – with so many leaks to be plugged, this would be a disastrous signing to make.

The Villans have secured the signing of Wolves’ Kortney Hause on loan, but their back-line still leaves a lot to be desired with Smith struggling to contend with a lack of both depth and quality.

We, here at Football Fancast, think any move for McKenna would surely have to wait until next season considering the big demands made by Aberdeen, but what do you think, Villa fans? Should the club splash the cash now or wait until the next transfer window rolls around and risk losing out to another club? Or perhaps you feel there are better value options? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

Is The Championship the most exciting league in the world? Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max discusses the recent run of crazy results with Sky Sports’ Michelle Owen in the video above…

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According to Gianluca Dimarzio, Newcastle are targeting Monaco’s Antonio Barreca in a bid to solve their left-back problem, as Rafa Benitez looks to address some weak areas in his squad.

What’s the word?

The Magpies are eyeing a move for Barreca this month, likely due to the lack of options beyond Paul Dummett available to Benitez.

He got off to a flying start for Monaco after joining from Torino in the summer but has since fallen down the pecking order as Thierry Henry shuffles the pack in an attempt to battle out of trouble, and Newcastle could offer the Italian an escape route.

Benitez has been forced to play a back five often this season due to the lack of left-sided defenders in the ranks, but Newcastle would be getting a quality full-back should they sign Barreca – it could, also, be the signing that needs to be made in order to rejuvenate Kenedy.

Shackled Kenedy

Firstly, Barreca has chalked up two assists in nine appearances this campaign according to Transfermarkt, so he can clearly be an asset on the front foot as well as at the back and, at 23 years old, he has plenty of room for improvement.

The 13-cap international is blessed with pace and that will be a huge factor for Newcastle, who lack in that department beyond DeAndre Yedlin and Kenedy – the latter of which has been dropped from the squad in recent weeks, despite his undoubted talent.

The Brazilian is full of flair but can impact his chances in the first team with his poor attitude – the Chelsea loanee is never at his best when deployed as a wing-back and surely prefers the freedom of being a forward. That could be available to him once again if the St. James’ Park outfit seal a deal for Barreca.

If Barreca becomes a Magpie, we could finally see the best from Kenedy in more advanced positions, during what has thus far been a drab season for the 22-year-old.

Check out the video above for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

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West Ham United have approached Sheffield United over a £4m move for midfielder John Fleck, according to Sky Sports.

What’s the story, then?

West Ham have been linked with a whole host of players this month, whilst they have also had to deal with the Marko Arnautovic saga in recent weeks.

Rumours of a move for Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez are not going away, as per a separate article by Sky Sports, but the Hammers are also keen to tie up a deal for Fleck.

Indeed, Sky Sports claim that the Premier League club have already held talks with Sheffield United over a potential £4m swoop this month.

Fleck, who has three-and-a-half years left to run on his contract with the Blades, was voted the club’s Player of the Year last season.

The 27-year-old has been a regular for the Championship club this term, but could well end up in the Premier League before the January window closes.

Should West Ham move for Fleck?

There is absolutely no question that the Scot is a talent.

He started his professional career with Rangers, making 55 appearances for the Scottish giants ahead of a move to Coventry City in 2012.

Fleck was to spend four seasons with Coventry, scoring eight times in 182 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, before switching to Sheffield United.

Since joining the Blades, the midfielder has contributed 32 assists and seven goals in 121 appearances, once again according to Transfermarkt, although he has netted just once in the Championship this term.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Capable of playing in a number of different positions, it is not too difficult to see why Fleck is attractive to West Ham, especially considering that he could be available for £4m.

The Hammers are not exactly blessed with a whole host of options in the middle of the park and Fleck could take his game to a new level operating alongside the likes of Declan Rice.

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to yet another bizarre twist in the Daniel James saga, as Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has resigned.

Leeds looked all set to secure the signing of James right up until the final moments of deadline day.

The Swansea starlet passed his medical at Elland Road on Thursday afternoon, and spent the rest of the day in Leeds waiting for the deal to go through.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Of course, the deal collapsed after disagreements over the structure of the deal, per The Yorkshire Evening Post, and now the man behind the ordeal has stepped down.

As reported by the BBC, Jenkins, 55, has left the Welsh club after nearly 17 years at the helm.

The Swans underwent a bizarre transfer deadline day, as Leroy Fer and James both stayed against all odds but the likes of Wilfried Bony and Tom Carroll departed.

Adam Pope of The Yorkshire Evening Post claims it was Jenkins who wanted James to stay, and loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to the news on Twitter…

After a fairly even first half, Tottenham ended up dismantling Borussia Dortmund in the second 45 minutes of their last-16 Champions League tie at Wembley last night.

Goals from Son Heung-min, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente inspired the north London club to a 3-0 win in the first leg between the two sides, though Christian Pulisic is refusing to throw in the white towel ahead of round two at Signal Iduna Park.

The Breakdown

“Of course it is not going to be easy,” the Dortmund attacking midfielder was quoted as saying by the Evening Standard. “They are a great team and we are three goals behind. [But] this team are never going to give up. We are going to give it everything we have, we still have a chance.

“We felt better in the first half but they came out and played much harder in the second half. This team never give up. We will be 100 per cent ready to give it our best shot.”

With 90 minutes still to play in this fixture and an early goal for Dortmund capable of changing the whole complexion of things, anything can obviously happen. However, it is still hard to see how Tottenham could possibly mess things up.

They have grown to a point under Mauricio Pochettino where such a thing should not even be imaginable.

With the likes of Jadon Sancho and Pulisic himself, Dortmund certainly have enough in their arsenal to beat Tottenham on the night.

But winning the tie outright given the position they find themselves in looks close to impossible when looking at the team Tottenham have become with Pochettino at the helm.

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According to the Daily Express, Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a £35 million summer bid for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.

The 20-year-old has been in fine form this season, and has made himself a vital member of Manuel Pellegrini’s first team squad. His performances have been so impressive that the Irons handed him a new long-term contract in December.

However, this new deal doesn’t appear to have put Spurs off. It’s easy to see why Mauricio Pochettino would want to add Rice to his squad too, especially after Moussa Dembele’s January exit to join Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The Hammers, though, must do all they can to hang onto Rice, despite their rivals’ interest in his services. The London-born ace has the capacity to shine for West Ham for many years to come if they can keep him at the club.

After the story of Spurs’ interest emerged, plenty of West Ham fans took to Twitter to give their reactions…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on talkSPORT, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has urged the club to move for Carlo Ancelotti as soon as possible.

What did he say?

Having sacked Unai Emery following a miserable start to the campaign, the Gunners are on the look-out for a permanent successor to the Spaniard. Freddie Ljungberg has taken charge on an interim basis, but reports in recent weeks have suggested the club have drawn up a 12-man shortlist to find out who would be best suited to taking on the role full-time.

One man who is said to be in the frame, is Ancelotti. The Italian was relieved of his duties by Napoli after their Champions League win earlier this week, and Parlour has urged the Gunners to move for him as quickly as they can.

He said: “You can’t knock his record. I think they need a bit of experience to shake this squad up and try and get them defending better as a team and get them organised. He’s available and he knows the Premier League very well. Sometimes you’ve got to move quickly with managers.

“He’s a bit like (Jose) Mourinho; the trophies he’s won, 20 trophies! Obviously he’s been at big clubs and has had the opportunity to play in big tournaments and have good players, but he’s still got to manage big players and he’s done that so well over the years. That’s why you say he could be the right man for Arsenal.”

The right fit?

Whilst as Parlour says, Ancelotti’s record, particularly in the Champions League, is unparalleled, is he the right fit for what Arsenal desperately need at the moment? The Gunners are in disarray at the moment, several places outside of the top four, and were on a dismal run of nine games without a win just last week.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Arsenal Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Ancelotti’s penchant for getting the best out of big players as he did at Real Madrid and Chelsea perhaps isn’t the necessary quality needed at the Emirates, despite his truly incredible trophy haul that includes three Champions League titles. The north London side could do with a coach who is either progressive and looking towards the future, or someone who can tighten things up at the back. And the Italian’s way of managing doesn’t quite fit those requirement.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans hammer this ace for his disappointing display against Standard Liege.

Dean Smith gave an honest admission about Aston Villa’s defensive woes following their 3-1 loss against Southampton, as reported by the club’s official website.

What did he say?

Only Southampton and Norwich City have conceded more Premier League goals this season than Villa’s 33.

This offers an indication of just how leaky their defence has been since they took the step up from Championship football to the top tier, despite signing the likes of Tom Heaton and Bjorn Engels.

The poor defensive record will definitely have played a part in the Villans’ current place in the bottom three, as they have outscored everyone who is 12th and below, while they have also amassed more goals than fifth-placed Sheffield United.

With this in mind, Smith has spoken about their defensive troubles: “Players have to take responsibility at times and so do I. We’ve conceded seven in the last two home games.

“We were very poor defensively against Leicester, but today was more individual mistakes with the goals.

“There are certainly elements that we need to get better at defensively and we have to do that quickly.”

Must improve

The Villa manager mentioned that seven goals have been conceded in their last two home games, which simply isn’t good enough – even if four of those came against a Leicester City side that has been very impressive this campaign, sitting in the top four.

Red Herring or Real Hero: Only hardcore Villa fans will get all of them right….

This need for improvement was on full show against the Saints, as the defending was nowhere near good enough for any of their three goals.

Bjorn Engels was easily done by a Nathan Redmond pass, Jack Stephens was put under no pressure for his header and Marvelous Nakamba presented Danny Ings with his chance on a plate.

To give away three goals with such ease, especially in a game of such importance, is seriously concerning for Smith and his team.

It is undoubted that Villa need to improve defensively if they are to begin climbing the table.

In other news, fans have blasted Smith after their defeat to Southampton.

West Brom have been one of the best teams in the Championship since they dropped into the division last term.

The Baggies were real promotion candidates last year as they finished fourth, and this term they’re sitting pretty in second place.

In 2018/19, the Midlands outfit were a tough nut to crack as they only lost 12 games, but that didn’t stop Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United from beating them 4-0.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

It was one of United’s best victories, recovering from what seemed to be a poor run of form to comprehensively beat one of their closest challengers.

From the first whistle Leeds got at West Brom, and they didn’t take their foot off the gas for the whole encounter.

It took less than a minute for Pablo Hernandez to net the opener with Leeds beginning with an intensity that we rarely see from any side.

However, this time Leeds were slow to start and within 90 seconds of kick-off they found themselves 1-0 down courtesy of a Semi Ajayi goal.

The Whites were then chasing the game from that point, and fortunately, they managed to level the match in the second half as they went on to draw 1-1.

Just a season on from their demolition of the Baggies, they were on the wrong end of a goal within two minutes.

Perhaps that was symptomatic of Slaven Bilic wanting to give Leeds a taste of their own medicine, or perhaps Bielsa didn’t do enough to make sure his team started strongly.

The tactics of putting West Brom under the cosh from the get-go worked so well last term, but it seems as if Leeds didn’t learn their lessons from that win.

In other news, our writers have been weighing up whether or not Billy Sharp would be a good signing for Leeds.

According to The Guardian, Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race for AC Milan forward Krzysztof Piatek.

The report claims that Harry Kane’s hamstring injury is expected to force Spurs into the market for a new striker.

And Piatek, whose future has been the subject of much speculation in recent days, is allegedly a target for Jose Mourinho’s top-four hopefuls.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

A number of Spurs fans have been on social media discussing a potential swoop, and it would be fair to say that many would be in favour of the 24-year-old arriving.

However, not all of the club’s supporters are in agreement, with one claiming that Troy Parrott would be a better option and the other comparing Piatek to Vincent Janssen, who only managed two Premier League goals for the club.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Others, meanwhile, have doubted that their club would be able to get the deal over the line even if they were to make an official bid.

Piatek, who has also been linked with Aston Villa and Newcastle United, has only scored four goals in 18 Serie A appearances during the 2019/20 campaign.

His record at Genoa was outstanding, though, finding the back of the net on 19 occasions in 21 appearances ahead of a switch to the San Siro.

Meanwhile, Spurs have been dealt another huge injury blow with a key player facing the next three months on the sidelines.