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Aston Villa could be about to sign their own version of Gonzalo Higuain after they were linked with a move for River Plate striker Julian Alvarez.

The 21-year-old Argentine striker has been on fire this season, scoring 17 goals and registering seven assists in 20 appearances in the Argentine top flight to push them to the top of the table after 24 games.

His fine form has seen him likened to Manchester United and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo in the past, but it’s his former teammate Higuain who has been singing the praises of the young striker.

Both Alvarez and Higuain came through the famed River Plate academy and the former Chelsea loanee has revealed that he sees a lot of himself in the striker who has so far earned five caps for the Argentina national team.

Speaking to ESPN Higuain declared: “He is the best striker that River Plate has. He has scored 20 goals and half of Europe wants him.

“I saw how he moves, how he uses both feet. I see him similar to me in terms of his hunger, the desire to make it, the desire to learn.

“I love him in every way, how he plays, his humility… it makes me very happy that he is doing well.”

Combine that with his goal record and it’s there is every reason to believe that he could become as devastating as Higuain was in his career. After all, he’s also been compared to some other great South American strikers. River manager Marcelo Gallardo once said: “He is constantly hungry and I see that in players like Suarez, Cavani and Julián Alvarez.”

The forward has a €2om (£17m) release clause in his contract with the Argentine giants but they are hopeful of tying him down to a long-term contract.

Aston Villa currently have both Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins as central striker options, but with Ings turning 30 later this season there is no harm in looking ahead to the future. Watkins has been fielded on the wing at times this season and like Alvarez, became a striker after initially breaking through on the flanks.

It would also take the pressure off those two in front of goal and would allow Gerrard to be more flexible tactically, possibly playing two up front on occasion and still having a spare forward for the bench. The options in the squad will allow Alvarez plenty of time to adapt and bed in without too much pressure, while also bolstering the squad and adding firepower to a team that has only managed 21 goals in 15 games so far this season.

AND in other news, Aston Villa not regretting decision to reject £110k p/w “liability” last summer.

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that it is difficult to imagine Eddie Nketiah returning to Elland Road this summer.

Nketiah spent the first half of the 2019/20 season at Leeds before having his loan cut short by parent club Arsenal.

The 22-year-old is now being linked with another move to the Yorkshire outfit, with Football Insider reporting that they have been offered the chance to sign him for £20m.

Palmer, however, is unsure about a potential deal given what happened during Nketiah’s last spell at Elland Road.

“I would find it difficult,” the ex-Leeds player said. “Yes, Leeds would want to re-sign him, but he’s got to weigh up his options. He’s not going to get into the Arsenal side, but he didn’t really play at Leeds.”

Indeed, it would be a bit of a strange one. If Nketiah is to leave Arsenal in this transfer window, it is probably to get more game time.

Would the English youngster get that at the Whites? He did not the first time and that is unlikely to change given the fact that Patrick Bamford has gone up another level since then.

The 27-year-old managed to score 17 goals in the Premier League season that has just gone and featured in all 38 games. He is undoubtedly the undisputed No.9 at Elland Road.

After signing Eberechi Eze from Championship club QPR last season, Crystal Palace are seemingly once again taking a close look at the EFL for potential new signings.

The Eagles have recently been linked with a move for Bristol City’s Antoine Semenyo, with Football League World suggesting that they have “ramped up” their interest in the 21-year-old.

However, despite the success at Eze at Selhurst Park over the past season, that looks unlikely to be a trick repeated with Semenyo.

Rated at just £1.17m by Transfermarkt, his potential arrival could be viewed as a bargain, but that middling transfer fee would only bring the Eagles a player who has so far struggled for consistency.

In 46 appearances this season, Semenyo – who can play up front or out wide – has only managed to chalk up five goals. Considering that he has started 27 of those matches, that is a rather poor output.

As a matter of fact, that is a trend which has followed the forward for years, having netted just 11 goals throughout his career so far at all levels following spells with the Robins, Sunderland and Newport County.

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Despite former Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson suggesting that Semenyo could be “dangerous”, there should certainly be reservations over whether he would be able to make an impact on the Premier League considering that poor return. For context, ahead of his move to Palace last summer, Eze had chalked up 14 goals and notched eight assists in his final season with QPR in the Championship.

Whilst Palace might well hold an interest in Semenyo at the current time, it would be preferable to avoid a deal in the current window.

He still has two years to run on his contract at Ashton Gate so he could well develop even further throughout the 2021/22 season, when a Palace switch could potentially make more sense.

AND in more news, the Eagles have been dealt a blow in their potential search for a new manager…

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has shared the latest news concerning Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United.

The Lowdown: Rice’s contract

As per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old has turned down a third contract offer by the Irons. Consequently, he has revealed that the England international is open to a move away from east London at the end of the season.

However, Romano further claims that David Moyes still insists that his vice-captain is untouchable this summer.

Rice still has two years remaining on his current West Ham deal, and the club have the option to extend this by a further year, putting them in a fairly strong negotiating position.

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The Latest: Ornstein’s news

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed the latest news on Rice’s situation, claiming: “West Ham expect to keep Rice now but sell in 2023.”

In the adjacent article, Ornstein shared the details reported by West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas.

Thomas reported that the Irons are determined to keep their star player this summer, but they have conceded to the idea that they will have to sell him in 12 months time.

The Hammers will extend the midfielder’s contract by a further year and will then look to sell him for at least £150m in 2023, when he has two years remaining on his current deal.

The Verdict: Big dilemma for Moyes

Whilst Moyes insists that Rice is not for sale, £150m seems like a fair price for a player looking to compete at the next level. If a bid is received totalling this fee, GSB will likely be eager to accept, even though it appears Moyes will be reluctant to do so.

This will present the boss with a big dilemma; with the aim of Champions League qualification, he may be thinking that this goal isn’t possible if the club is willing to sell their best player.

Thus, Rice’s transfer saga could prove to be a majorly divisive point between the now beloved gaffer and much-maligned owners.

In other news: West Ham United: Declan Rice at centre of transfer tug-of-war

David Moyes will be eager to receive some good news on the fitness of Pablo Fornals after the West Ham midfielder missed Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United through injury.

That’s according to football.london, who note that Fornals was a late withdrawal from the squad at Old Trafford after sustaining a minor knock.

But the Irons are unlikely to be without the Spaniard for long, with it expected that the 25-year-old should make a quick return.

Fornals’ recovery is likely to hand Moyes a triple boost after the upcoming international break, with Angelo Ogbonna and Arthur Masuaku also said to be closing in on a return to first-team action.

Fornals had started West Ham’s past three Premier League fixtures before missing the 1-0 loss to Manchester United, having been given a surprise recall against Tottenham Hotspur last month after playing just six of the previous 270 available minutes of top-flight action.

Ogbonna has been in the treatment room since the FA Cup fifth-round loss at Old Trafford at the start of February when he sustained a high ankle sprain, ruling the 32-year-old out of five league games and counting.

Masuaku, meanwhile, has been sidelined since the Red Devils’ visit to the London Stadium in December, 20 games ago, having undergone career-saving knee surgery following the 3-1 defeat in what was his 11th start in all competitions.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s action, Moyes had said: “Angelo is doing great. He’s back in the gym regularly. He’s out of his [protective] boot and we’re expecting him to start some running on the AlterG, which is the machine that takes a bit of your bodyweight off.

“He’s coming along and I’m hoping that, maybe by the end of the international break, we might have him back on the grass in some capacity. Arthur’s trained two or three days this week with the U23s and trained with me for a couple of days now, so Arthur’s getting much closer to match fitness and all-round fitness generally.”

Moyes will be eager for good news on the potentially swift return of Fornals to action, having missed the Spaniard’s energy during Sunday’s 1-0 loss at Old Trafford.

Fornals had proven a vastly important cog in the West Ham attacking midfield line with his performances against Tottenham, Manchester City and Leeds United, while assisting Jesse Lingard’s winning goal in the London derby with Spurs.

Beyond penning his first assist in 17 Premier League games, Fornals justified his appearance against Jose Mourinho’s north Londoners as he was lively throughout the tie with a tireless persistence to his efforts, which returned more tackles (4) than his per-game average (1.2), per SofaScore.

He was the energetic star once again at Manchester City the following week, constantly driving the Hammers up the pitch and proving a handful for the runaway league leaders.

West Ham were without that presence at Manchester United on Sunday, where Moyes felt his side’s offensive moves were often “really poor” and sloppy, leading to a lack of sustained efforts to hit the Red Devils on the break.

AND in other news, West Ham in four-way Premier League battle for 13-goal striker who is “annoying to the defender”…

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has lauded Frank Lampard amid links with Crystal Palace.

The Eagles are continuing their hunt for a new boss in the wake of Roy Hodgson’s departure from the club.

Palace have yet to appoint anyone in the ex-England boss’s stead, despite links with a number of managers.

Indeed, it seemed that Nuno Espirito Santo would replace Hodgson but those talks have broken down, leaving the Eagles back at square one.

The Daily Mirror has reported previously that Lampard is subsequently back in the frame to take over, as he has been out of work since his sacking by Chelsea.

Fry is not sure if he would be willing to take over at Selhurst Park but he believes that he deserves an immense amount of credit for showing real faith in youth at both Stamford Bridge and Derby County.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I’m not sure about Palace.

“Frank’s very good. When he went to Derby, he was very good at loaning three or four players that got Derby in the play-off final and to be fair to Frank, when he went back to Chelsea, he still played them young kids.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Mikkel Damsgaard…

What’s the word?

According to SampNews24, the North London outfit are preparing to launch a bid for the Sampdoria winger this summer, with him having been a target for several months.

It had previously been thought that the 20-year-old gem has been recommended to the Spurs hierarchy by former manager Jose Mourinho and star midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has played with him on the international stage.

Now, following the arrival of ex-Juventus director Fabio Paratici, the Premier League side look set to revisit their interest in Damsgaard.

Sampdoria do not want to sell the Danish youngster but they could, according to the report, be tempted by an offer in excess of €20m (£18m), with Italian rivals Inter Milan and Juventus also keen.

Bye-bye Lamela

If Paratici launches a bid for Damsgaard, then you’d imagine it would almost certainly spell the end for Erik Lamela and his eight-year stint in N17.

The Argentine winger has been blighted by injuries throughout his time at Spurs. He has put on the Lilywhites shirt 257 times, averaging only 32 appearances per season, which is quite low when considering they have regularly been competing in Europe throughout that time.

In fact, as of April, he had missed a whopping 135 matches through injury, according to football.london.

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Lamela has attracted plenty of interest from Italy in the last few months, ranging from Bologna to Napoli, so he may not be short of suitors. And by signing the 20-year-old, he can finally be moved on after several disappointing seasons.

Damsgaard has been tipped for huge things in the future by those around him, including former Leicester City title winner Claudio Raineiri, who dubbed him a “child prodigy” in one interview, and claimed he would have a “big future” in another.

The young winger has been one of Sampdoria’s standout performers, especially in terms of excitement and work rate.

As per WhoScored, the Denmark international attempted a whopping 4.6 tackles per 90 minutes at a success rate of 45.6%, as well as topping the dribbling charts, with 4.4 attempts per 90.

Only one other La Samp star managed more than his four assists, too.

TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen waxed lyrical about his qualities during commentary back in January this year, he said:  “He’s magical – what speed!” before adding: “He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

Given Lamela’s injury problems and age, 29, it would make sense for Paratici to move him on this summer and in the £26m-rated Damsgaard, Spurs could get an ideal long-term replacement.

AND in other news, Levy was dealt yet another gutting manager blow before Fonseca move…

David Moyes can convince Jesse Lingard to stay at West Ham beyond his loan deal after the key factor behind a potential return to Manchester United was revealed.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, Lingard will only return to Old Trafford at the end of the season if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can guarantee the England international a regular role in his plans.

Lingard was given just three appearances by the Red Devils boss this season before sealing a temporary switch to the London Stadium in January, where Gareth Southgate believes he has been “excellent”.

The 28-year-old has scored five goals and been credited with three assists in seven Premier League games in claret and blue, and has only failed to influence the scoring in one of his outings under Moyes to date.

West Ham are keen to work on negotiating a permanent transfer for the 27-cap dynamo, who was recalled to the England set-up last month after a two-year hiatus, but are expected to face a wealth of competition.

The Red Devils will have a decision to make on Lingard’s future come the end of the season with the midfielder due to enter the final year of his contract in June, so will either have to present the academy product with new terms or listen to offers.

It is not considered likely that the £13.5m-rated Lingard will gain his desired minutes at Old Trafford in the No. 10 role he has thrived in for West Ham, with Bruno Fernandes the favoured option under Solskjaer.

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Manchester United denied the Irons a £15m option to purchase Lingard in their loan agreement for the £100,000-per-week playmaker, believing that a strong run of form could see his value exceed £20m.

A boost for Moyes and West Ham

Lingard’s alleged stance on his Manchester United future will come as a huge boost for West Ham in the east London outfit’s efforts to retain the England international, as Moyes can use his position to the Hammers’ advantage.

Lingard would face a real challenge to displace Fernandes at Manchester United were he to return to Old Trafford, with the Portuguese proving to be one of the best playmakers currently in the Premier League.

Only Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane (13) and Manchester City maestro Kevin de Bruyne (11) have provided more assists in the top-flight this term than Fernandes (10), who additionally ranks first for total number of key passes (82), per SofaScore.

Fernandes has created six more goal-scoring opportunities than any other player in the division to date, while his vision has led to a league-high 17 big chances for the Red Devils to score.

Moyes would be able to use that to show Lingard why he would have to accept a back-up role at Old Trafford next season if he were to head back, despite the 28-year-old proving his credentials while at West Ham.

Only Aaron Cresswell (1.52) and Vladimir Coufal (1.28) have averaged a higher number of key passes per game for West Ham in the top-flight this term than Lingard (1.14), who has also provided the third-most big chances created (0.29) per game.

With claims that Lingard is West Ham’s outright top-target for the summer market, ESPN’s report may give Moyes all the ammunition he needs to convince the playmaker to stick around at the London Stadium long-term.

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

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Slavia Prague sensation Abdallah Sima, in what could be an exciting piece of business.

The Lowdown: Sima shines for Slavia Prague

The 19-year-old is seen as a hugely talented young attacking player, catching the eye for the Czech giants this season.

Sima has scored 11 goals in just 15 starts in the Czech First League this season, outlining his potential and showing why he has been compared to Premier League legend Thierry Henry.

The Latest: Leeds keen on signing Sima

According to Football Insider, the Elland Road outfit are in the mix to sign the teenager this summer, following his ‘remarkable rise’ during 2020/21.

It is stated that a number of Premier League clubs are showing an interest in Sima, however, suggesting it won’t be easy to acquire his signature.

Everton, Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham are the top-flight teams mentioned in the report.

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The Verdict: Worth a punt?

It is vital that Leeds make reinforcements in the summer, ensuring they don’t sit still and fail to kick on from an impressive campaign.

At 19, Sima may still be raw, but in Marcelo Bielsa, he would have a hugely experienced, respected manager who knows how to nurture young talent – just look at how Patrick Bamford has taken to top flight football this term.

The list of clubs he is being linked with speaks volumes about his potential, so Leeds should consider taking a punt on the Czech starlet, especially considering how prolific he already looks in front of goal.

He could play second fiddle to the likes of Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo to begin with, potentially usurping them over time.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with another winger, as Bielsa looks to make a summer addition in that area. Find out who it is here.

Celtic are on a magnificent run of form at the moment with Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops winning six games on the trot.

During the course of that time they have scored 24 goals but only three of them belong to a certain Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman has been a divisive figure during the calendar year but despite lingering thoughts that he will leave Parkhead, it’s actually growing increasingly likely that he’ll stay.

If that occurs then Celtic risk losing him for free next summer when his contract at Paradise ends.

Edouard had been accused of downing tools towards the back end of last term after ending 2020/21 with three goals in his last ten outings.

He is a striker who is used to scoring on a more frequent basis than that but plenty of distractions have been thrown his way.

The forward’s future is still incredibly uncertain and his status in the team has diminished this season as a result.

Despite winning 6-0 against St Mirren last week, a game Edouard actually scored in, their best football this season has come without him in the starting XI.

Edouard hasn’t started a single game during the club’s so-far successful Europa League qualifying run. Instead, Kyogo Furuhashi has usurped his status as Celtic’s star man.

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The Japan international has been scintillating since penning terms a few months ago and already has six goals in seven outings for the club.

However, when he was shunted to the left-hand side at the expense of Celtic’s number 22 last weekend, he struggled slightly and didn’t have the same impact in front of goal as when he plays through the middle.

Edouard was a threat, playing four key passes and finding the net, but the £19k-per-week earner barely touched the ball aside from that. Only 11 passes in the entire clash came from his boot, fewer than goalkeeper Joe Hart.

The 23-year-old appears to be coming into form but if he is going to leave then Ange Postecoglou must prioritise Furuhashi in a central role.

The new signing has been exceptional in continental action so playing him up top on his own makes more sense when they face AZ Alkmaar in the second leg on Thursday.

AND in other news, Forget Edouard: Ange must unleash £16k-p/w Celtic gem today, he’s “majestic to watch”…