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Aston Villa have initiated contact to enquire about a summer deal to sign Benfica star Fredrik Aursnes, according to reports.

Who is Fredrik Aursnes?

Aursnes is naturally a defensive midfielder who first arrived in Liga Portugal from Feyenoord last summer, where he quickly established himself as a regular feature of Roger Schmidt’s first-team, clocking up 42 appearances during his debut season.

The Norway international’s contract isn’t set to expire for another four years, but with his deal including a €50m (£42m) release clause, there’s always the chance that he could be prized away from a potential suitor earlier, possibly one in the Premier League.

Football Insider have recently reported that Unai Emery has given the green-light to sell Leander Dendoncker because he doesn’t view him as part of his plans next season, so the boss will need a replacement should he depart, and it sounds like the 27-year-old has been highlighted as a possible candidate.

Are Aston Villa signing Aursnes?

According to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have “made contact” regarding a summer swoop for Aursnes.

The Midlands outfit have “knocked on the door” to register their interest in the central talisman, but they were met with a “denial” from his club who are “only letting the player go” should his release clause be met.

Benfica losing their prized asset is “out of the question”, and as a result of this interest, it’s believed that they have opened talks over fresh terms.

Should NSWE make a second approach for Aursnes?

Benfica’s manager Schmidt has hailed Aursnes a “complete” defensive midfielder for the positive impact that he has at both ends of the pitch, so despite having been knocked back in their opening approach, NSWE should definitely make a second move to bring him to Aston Villa.

The 2022/23 Champions League participant won 29 out of his 41 tackles made last season so isn’t afraid to get stuck in and win back possession for his side, but he’s also more than capable of posing a threat in the final third having posted seven goal contributions (five assists and two goals) in 28 Liga Portugal outings.

Finally, Aursnes is a remarkably versatile operator having been deployed in an outstanding ten different positions since the start of his career including in defensive, midfield and attacking roles, so he really would add a bit of everything to the boss’ squad, making this a no-brainer of a deal to pursue if Emery likes what he sees.

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.

Liverpool are eyeing a swoop for Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch during the transfer window as Jurgen Klopp looks to further enhance his midfield.

What’s the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool?

Following the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, Klopp is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of bulking up his midfield, as they remain in talks with Nice star Khephren Thuram, according to Football Insider.

However, the same report goes on to state that if a deal can't be reached for the 22-year-old, Gravenberch could emerge as a key target for the Reds.

He may cost just €25m (£21.5m) if he were to make a move, and this is substantially cheaper than the €40m (£34m) that Nice are demanding for Thuram this summer.

Could Liverpool sign Ryan Gravenberch?

Having only joined Bayern Munich last summer, Gravenberch hasn’t quite made the impact that was perhaps expected of him throughout his debut season, starting just six matches across all competitions.

Fabrizio Romano stated that talks will take place between Gravenberch and Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel in order to clarify his situation, and that Klopp should get ready to pounce amid the uncertainty over his future.

The Anfield side missed out on signing Jude Bellingham – a transfer target since last summer – as the Englishman joined Real Madrid. However, the 21-year-old is statistically similar to the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

Bellingham is the seventh-most comparable player to Gravenberch according to FBref, and it means Klopp could land an ideal alternative should he strike a deal for the “dominant” starlet – as dubbed by his former youth coach, Brian Tevreden.

Former Ajax star Rafael van der Vaart even declared that Gravenberch could be “better than Jude Bellingham”, and this should surely entice Klopp into making a move.

The 19-year-old ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.01), progressive passes per 90 (8.18) and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (3.60), exuding attacking qualities from his role in the heart of the midfield.

Gravenberch may not quite be at Bellingham’s level yet, by ranking in the top 23% for progressive passes per 90 (6.40) and the top 27% for touches in the attacking penalty box per 90 (1.84), though he does rank in the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.01), matching Bellingham's own rate.

These stats from the Dutchman are made more impressive by his limited game time last season, and if he made the move to the Premier League, there is surely little doubt that he would start more than the paltry six games he did for the Bundesliga champions, thus giving himself a great chance of improving on these metrics.

Manchester United enjoyed a relatively solid debut season under the leadership of Erik ten Hag – securing a League Cup triumph and qualification for the Champions League, ensuring the first stage of his rebuilding job is complete, yet there is still so much work to do.

These achievements might not be enough to satiate the Old Trafford faithful, and further progress will be required next year as the Dutchman will be hoping his two star performers, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, can take their games to new heights in Europe’s premier competition.

Last season, Fernandes was in exceptional form, registering 29 goal contributions – 14 goals and 15 assists – from an attacking-midfield position and creating a staggering 32 big chances, as well as completing 3.3 key passes per game – numbers that saw him ranked first in both metrics across the whole of the Premier League.

The Portuguese sensation will turn 29 during the opening stages of 2023/24, and with United recently linked with Wolfsburg midfielder Felix Nmecha, could Ten Hag potentially be eyeing up someone who could eventually replace Fernandes?

Could Manchester United sign Felix Nmecha this summer?

The 22-year-old could be available for as little as €15m (£13m), and the Dutchman should look to secure his signature as soon as possible.

Having started off his career at Manchester City, he is not a complete stranger to English football, however, he only really began to showcase his wonderful potential in Germany after signing for Wolfsburg in 2021.

Across 50 appearances for the Bundesliga side, he has scored three goals and grabbed seven assists, yet it was 2022/23 which saw him register all but one of these goal contributions in what was a solid campaign for the one-cap Germany international.

Indeed, he ranked as the third-best player in the squad for overall rating, as per Sofascore, while ranking fifth for big chances created (five) and successful dribbles per game (0.9), suggesting he was a positive influence within the side.

The former City starlet doesn’t just pose attacking qualities, as he ranks in the top 20% across Europe’s top five leagues for aerials won (2.16) and clearances per 90 (1.52), showcasing a different side to his game – and this ability to chip in defensively when required could be a big bonus for Ten Hag.

Journalist Josh Bunting has been quick to praise the youngster due to his displays recently, saying: “He’s very quick, technical ability is good, a ball carrying number 8, strong in his duels and has an intelligent eye for a final pass.”

With this in mind, a fee of around £13m would surely represent a bargain for the Red Devils as they continue to plan ahead for not only next season, but also the future.

Newcastle United are showing an interest in signing Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams this summer, a new transfer update has claimed.

Will Adams leave Leeds in the summer?

The Magpies could be set to embark upon a hugely productive summer transfer window, having secured a top-four finish in the Premier League and sealed a return to the Champions League in the process.

That could make a huge different when it comes to the calibre of players Newcastle could sign in the coming weeks and months, as they look to ensure that they don't rest on their laurels and keep improving instead.

The money will be there for Eddie Howe to make significant reinforcements and he could see midfield as a key area of the pitch strengthen, with arguably too much reliance on Bruno Guimaraes, who looked tired in the final stages of the season.

Will Newcastle look to snap up Adams?

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are interested in adding "Leeds' best player" to their midfield in the summer window:

"Adams was arguably Leeds’ best player last season, and also thrived at the World Cup in December with the USA national side, before his season was ended by a hamstring injury back in March that required surgery.

"Sources have also indicated that Newcastle were impressed by Adams’ character and combative nature when he played at St James’ Park during a goalless draw on New Year’s Day.

"The 24-year-old, who arrived at Leeds from RB Leipzig for just £20 million last summer, is also able to play wide or through the middle in midfield and can also be deployed as a wing back and would hopefully be available for less than £30 million."

Adams could be exactly what Newcastle are after this summer, with the 24-year-old proving to be an excellent signing by Leeds, despite their eventual relegation from the Premier League last month.

Jesse Marsch labelled him "very important" and he certainly stood out as their star player throughout the campaign, winning an average of 3.7 tackles per game in the league, as well as 1.5 interceptions and 1.1 aerial duels.

The American was also described as "exceptional" by pundit Lucy Ward for his performances at the 2022 World Cup, and he could be viewed as an upgrade on someone like Sean Longstaff moving forward.

For all his excellence in 2022/23, he needs to eventually be turned into a squad player if Newcastle are to reach that next level, possessing quality but yet to win a cap for England and only averaging 1.3 tackles and 0.5 interceptions last season.

Arsenal are confident that Reiss Nelson will sign a long-term contract to stay at the club very soon, journalist Charles Watts has revealed.

What's the latest on Nelson and Arsenal?

The 23-year-old has struggled to break into the Arsenal first team this season as a result of injuries and the form of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, but has delivered when called upon as a substitute.

His cameo against Bournemouth saw him provide an assist for the equaliser and score a stunning winner as Arsenal completed a dramatic comeback, and some impressive substitute appearances followed as he finished the season with six goals and assists in 18 games across all competitions.

Nelson's contract expires this summer, and it appeared that he was going to depart the club, but he now looks set to stay following a breakthrough in talks.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that there is now confidence within the club that the winger is going to commit his future to Mikel Arteta's side.

"All signs are that this is going to be a done deal with Reiss Nelson and his contract, after rejecting a few previous offers," he stated.

"A breakthrough in talks has happened and people that I'm speaking to at Arsenal think this is going to happen. Until it's signed, until it's done, you never know something can change and other clubs can come in and wave a big contract offer under his nose and he could decide to go elsewhere.

"But at the moment there is a lot of positivity that Reiss Nelson will sign his new contract, we're just waiting for it to be done and announced."

What are Arsenal's aims for Nelson?

Given that Saka played in every league game last season, Nelson can be used more as rotational cover for the England international as Arsenal return to the Champions League.

Losing Nelson for free would have made a replacement necessary, and keeping Nelson, even with a wage rise, would likely be better value than spending a large fee on another winger, when Saka and Martinelli are the undisputed first choice options.

Arteta recently described Nelson as "important," and it is hard to imagine a scenario where Nelson will have committed his future to the club without assurances over his game time.

The winger was once regarded as one of the best talents in the academy, and after a difficult few seasons and a number of loan spells away, it now seems that he is in prime position to fulfil his potential at the club.

Everton stand a good chance of keeping midfield powerhouse Amadou Onana beyond the summer transfer window, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's going on with Onana and Everton?

The midfielder has had an impressive first campaign in English football since joining from Lille last year, and earlier this season had attracted transfer interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 21-year-old helped Everton survive the threat of relegation, and although there may be fears that he could depart this summer, the Toffees may be able to keep hold of one of their star players.

Speaking on the Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that Chelsea's pursuit of Manuel Ugarte is their priority, meaning any current move for Onana is unlikely, and that Everton stand a good chance of keeping the Belgian.

"I think Everton have a chance to keep the player, it's not going to be easy, but they have a chance because he really loves the club," he stated.

"He loves the atmosphere, the city, his teammates. So he has a special connection with the club. And also at the moment, while we're speaking there is nothing advanced.

"I saw new rumours about Chelsea in the last 24/48 hours, but I'm told that Chelsea are busy with Ugarte, this midfielder from Sporting, so they have not made Onana a priority.

"This is positive news for Everton. Also, let's see what's going to happen in the coming months, because maybe in July or August, some big club will arrive with big money on Onana, but at the moment the situation is quiet and the player is not desperate to leave."

How important is Onana to Everton?

The midfielder has provided a strong presence in the middle of the park for Everton and was described as "superb" following a player-of-the-match display in his side's victory over Arsenal.

Everton won just eight league games all season, and Onana started in seven of them, highlighting just how crucial he is to Sean Dyche's side, who struggled to find victory without him in the team.

The Toffees will be hoping to avoid another season where they are involved in a tense relegation battle, and building around younger talents like Onana could help them to start progressing up the table.

If a big bid does arrive for Onana, then the club may have to consider a sale, but they will be wary of the potential consequences of losing such an important player ahead of what could be another difficult campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to steal a wonderful signing from under the nose of a Premier League rival.

What’s the latest on Manor Solomon to Tottenham Hotspur?

That’s according to journalists Jack Pitt-Brooke and Peter Rutzler, who claim that Daniel Levy has sparked an interest in signing Manor Solomon on a free transfer.

Writing for The Athletic, they suggest that the chairman will seek to capitalise on a technicality this summer, which will see the Israeli winger leave his parent club, Shakhtar Donetsk, on a free transfer.

Despite spending the year on loan at Fulham, the Lilywhites are reportedly at the front of the queue for the 23-year-old.

How good is Manor Solomon?

Although the diminutive wide man had built up a reputation before his move to England, most notably for his role in the Ukraine outfits demolition of Real Madrid in 2020, it was only after his move to Craven Cottage that more casual fans became aware of his talents.

Despite only scoring four times across 19 games this term, almost all the strikes were something truly magnificent to behold, including in the FA Cup triumph over Leeds United.

Journalist Josh Bunting even noted just how “stunning” the start of his year had been on Twitter after he had headed home an equaliser against Brentford.

With a seemingly patented technique for finding the net, cutting in from the left onto his favoured right foot, even Solomon’s running style mirrors that of Heung-min Son alongside this consistent scoring style.

Those fine finishes are best compared to the South Korean’s north London derby scorcher in 2020, as he too came inside from that flank to curl home from all of 30 yards.

Whilst their actual numbers are far from similar, Solomon has only been limited to 31 minutes per game in the league, thus explaining his lack of proficiency.

Son’s ten goals in the league have come across 2,899 minutes of play time, and thus has averaged a goal every 289 minutes. Conversely, across a cumulative 561 minutes for the Cottagers’ star, he instead finds the net on average once every 140 minutes. That does little to offset the gulf shown when the 30-year-old is on form, as he notched 23 goals last season, but remains worth noting.

Whilst their shared stature also likens Son and Solomon, the latter’s aforementioned penchant for the big occasion mirrors the former Bayer Leverkusen star, who showcased his quality in their fierce derby whilst also having scored five against Liverpool and four against Manchester United, via Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, the £20k-per-week trickster scored in both of their wins over Real Madrid in the 2020/21 campaign, as they defied the odds. This was alongside nine league goals from the flank too, to compound a successful season.

Whilst fans might note this as an underwhelming signing by Levy, again seeking to find a bargain rather than a quality option in the market, his similarities to Son would make him the perfect understudy to push him back to those old goalscoring ways.

Journalist Alan Galindo has slammed Celtic winger Jota for his "quiet afternoon" as the Bhoys failed to win in their most recent game.

What's the latest on Celtc vs St Mirren?

Ange Postecoglou and co required a late equaliser to ensure they kept their unbeaten domestic home run alive, extending it to 51 games in a row with a draw against St Mirren on Saturday.

Indeed, Celtic fell behind after only four minutes as Curtis Main opened the scoring before Kyogo Furuhashi slammed the ball home to make it 1-1 ten minutes later.

Main, however, put the away team a goal ahead before half time and it took until the 81st minute before Callum McGregor rescued a point with a late equaliser.

As you can see from the result, the Bhoys clearly weren't at their best on the day and it sounds as though one man in particular failed to make much of a positive impact.

Indeed, as noted by Galindo in the player ratings for Glasgow Live, Jota delivered an underwhelming 6/10 display and had a: "Quiet afternoon by his standards."

What award has Jota won for Celtic?

While there have certainly been more damning criticisms fired at Celtic players in the past, this sub-par display of Jota's catches the eye because he is usually so good.

Against St Mirren, the SofaScore stats show just how poor he was as he gave the ball away with real regularity, losing possession 26 times – which was more than any other player on the pitch.

He also failed to have a single shot on target, with three attempted; was successful with just two of nine attempted crosses; and was dribbled past as well.

This is hardly what we've come to expect from the £17k-p/w Celtic winger who was recently awarded the PFA Scotland goal of the season award for his superb chip against Rangers in that 4-0 Old Firm victory last September.

After the game, manager Postecoglou certainly didn't seem to happy with the overall standards shown by his side on the day.

Indeed, he told the press (via BBC Sport): "It was a tough game. St Mirren worked hard as they have all year and that's why they are what they are.

"We've gone off it a little bit the last couple of weeks, particularly the defensive side of the game, and when you do that, it's very hard then for us to play the football we want to.

Manchester City are three games away from potentially securing their fourth Premier League title in five years.

Despite the focus being on making sure they lift the league trophy once these three games are played, it seems as though a development has emerged regarding a potential summer transfer swoop that the Citizens have been mentioned with recently.

What’s the news?

According to journalist David Ornstein in a recent report for The Athletic, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has “opted against” joining City after the Frenchman was linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium last week.

Given how successful City have been in recent years in terms of winning domestic trophies, it’s surprising that the France international has passed up a potential opportunity to join them.

With 233 senior appearances to his name for the Red Devils, Pogba has found the net 39 times and delivered 51 assists.

Supporters will be gutted

During his time with Juventus between 2012 and 2016, the Frenchman scored 34 goals and provided 40 assists in 178 appearances across all competitions.

This shows just how much of an attacking and creative player the 29-year-old can be from the midfield and why it’ll be a blow for City to potentially miss out on signing him on a free transfer this summer once his deal at Old Trafford runs out.

The City fans will also be gutted to hear that a move across town from United won’t be on the cards.

Given the success that the Citizens had with their 2009 swoop for Carlos Tevez, who went on to score 73 goals in 148 appearances for them, it would have been a great sight for the City fans to see something similar happen with Pogba, having both had spells with United.

Furthermore, with current City midfielder Fernandinho set to leave the club in the summer when his contract expires, they will now have to look elsewhere in order to find a suitable replacement for the Brazilian veteran, and presumably at a costly price too.

In other news: “Man City will..”: Romano drops behind scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Pep