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Former Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has bemoaned Gareth Southgate's decision to leave in-form striker Ollie Watkins out of the latest England squad.

How has Ollie Watkins performed for Aston Villa?

The striker has been in sensational form recently, scoring six times in his last seven Premier League matches, while netting 10 times in all competitions this season.

The 27-year-old has been Unai Emery's trusted figure up front to the point that Danny Ings was allowed to leave in the January transfer window, and has seven England caps already to his name.

He was once described as "outstanding" by former manager Dean Smith, and his current form has been nothing short of remarkable.

However, he was omitted from the squad for England's EURO 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, in a move that has surprised Bent.

Speaking on TalkSport, Bent claimed that Watkins' form makes him more deserving of a place than other strikers who have been called up.

He said: "Someone who I think could count himself a bit unlucky to not be in the squad is Ollie Watkins.

"He's got six goals in his last seven games. He's timed his form to perfection if he was in contention for this England squad, so to get six in your last seven and not be in there, he can count himself unlucky.

"Callum Wilson, who was brilliant in the first half of the season, he's got one goal in 2023, so that's not going for him.

"I spoke about Tammy Abraham, he's got one in the last 10. Ollie Watkins is the one where he'd go, 'hold on a second here, why am I not in the squad?'"

Should Watkins be in the squad?

Whilst Watkins is evidently in better form than Wilson and Abraham, Southgate has elected to only pick two natural centre-forwards in the shape of Harry Kane and Ivan Toney.

Marcus Rashford is also capable of playing through the middle, and if Watkins was selected, his game time may well have been limited as a result of Kane's presence.

Although Watkins has been in better goalscoring form recently, Toney's 17 strikes this season place him ahead of the Villa star, as well as having one more assist throughout the campaign as a whole.

Whilst Watkins may bemoan his luck that he failed to make the squad when in such fine form, the other options at England's disposal mean he will face an uphill battle to force his way into Southgate's plans going forward.

With Kane the unquestionable starter, whichever forward makes it in out of Toney, Watkins or Wilson will still have to settle for a bench role anyway.

Glasgow Rangers’ transfer business has been well documented throughout the previous 25 years, with plenty of money being spent in order to vastly improve the squad and progress in Europe, especially under former chairman Sir David Murray.

The club won nine league titles in a row between 1988 and 1997 and in the first few years after the millennium, Murray wanted the Ibrox side to take the next step and become a European force. Of course, millions would need to be spent to achieve this goal, and they were, just ultimately on the wrong players.

When manager Dick Advocaat splash out £6.5m on Everton defender Michael Ball back in 2001, it looked as though the Light Blues had signed a player of considerable quality. It didn’t quite work out well for the left-back unfortunately during his spell at the club.

How much did Michael Ball cost Rangers?

At the time, the deal to bring Ball to Ibrox was the second highest in the club’s history and much hype was generated upon his arrival.

He missed 18 months of football early on in his Rangers career due to knee problems suffered at Everton and this heavily impacted the trajectory of his career.

The Englishman played just nine matches during his first season at the club and missed the whole of the 2002/2003 treble winning campaign.

40 matches in 2003/2004 was his best season at the Glasgow side, although in his last few years, he had to come to a strange agreement with Murray. If Ball played one more match, Rangers would have to pay another £500k to Everton and with the Gers short on money, Ball agreed to pay per appearance.

He said: "I remember it was a match at Ibrox when the gaffer Alex McLeish said the chairman wanted to see me – that's when he put the idea to me.

"Alex asked how it went, and I was still a little bit shocked about what had just happened.

"I had agreed to pay £4000 every time I played so they could pay Everton.

"I wasn't sure if I had got it right. We had a bit of a chuckle about it and later that day I came on as a sub with a few minutes left. I remember thinking 'that's just cost me four grand'!"

All in all, he made 67 appearances for the club across five and half seasons, which works out at around £97k per game in relation to his initial transfer fee – excluding wages – and this simply wasn’t money that Rangers could afford to waste.

If he managed to keep himself fit, there is no doubt he could have enjoyed a wonderful career in Scotland, however it proved to be a massive transfer shocker by Murray.

Journalist Liam Keen has revealed that Matheus Cunha is expected to feature for Wolves at the weekend despite an injury scare.

What's the latest on Matheus Cunha?

The forward, who joined from Atletico Madrid in January, is yet to score in 11 appearances for the club, and there was concern that he could miss his side's crucial game against Leeds United on Saturday.

The striker was withdrawn with an ankle injury against Fulham, which caused him to miss Wolves' loss to Liverpool, but Cunha is expected to be in the squad as Wolves host Javi Gracia's side at Molineux.

Speaking on the Express and Star Podcast, Keen claimed that his injury is simply careful management of his previous ankle problem and that he is fit to play.

He said: "He's having to manage the injury, having to take the load off the ankle at times and just manage it.

"He should be fine. They're not expecting him to be out injured. They're expecting him to still be fine for Saturday provided, obviously. there's no issues for the rest of this week.

"So it looks worse than it is, but it's just managing the load on the ankle. He was in the squad at Newcastle, he was warming up, I saw him on the sidelines, he looked fine.

"So I would imagine, unless there's [any] issues in the rest of this week, he will be fine for the weekend against Leeds."

Has Cunha been good enough so far?

The 23-year-old joined on an initial loan with an obligation to buy for around £35m, but his lack of goals will be of some concern to Julen Lopetegui.

Wolves' strikers have gone over a year without a Premier League goal, despite the likes of Cunha and Diego Costa arriving to support Raul Jimenez up front, and it was hoped that Cunha could provide more of a threat in attack.

The Brazil international has never been prolific at any of his clubs, and failed to score for Atletico Madrid this season before his move in January.

He may be more suited to a second-striker role rather than as an out-and-out number nine, but given the hefty fee Wolves will have to pay for him in the summer, they will be hoping for a vast improvement in his end product.

Wolves have navigated themselves away from the relegation zone for now, but there is still a long way to go this season as they continue to battle the drop, and their striking problems have been one of their biggest issues in what has been an overall underwhelming season.

And despite Cunha's slow start to life at Molineux in front of goal, having him back in first-team contention can only be a boost for the Old Gold.

Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign Birmingham City forward Trevan Sanusi, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Sanusi profiled

The Blues winger has worked his way up through the academy ranks at St. Andrew’s but his future is uncertain, having turned down multiple new scholarship contract proposals.

The Midlands starlet is 15 years old but will turn 16 next month, when he is reportedly hoping to move onto pastures new, and it sounds like there are two suitors waiting to snap him up in the Premier League.

The Latest: CFC leading the race

According to Football Insider, Chelsea and Arsenal are ‘battling’ it out to secure the services of Sanusi when he’s allowed to depart.

The London giants are both ‘hot on the trail’ of the teenager, but it’s believed that Graham Potter and his side are in ‘pole position’ at this stage having pushed ‘hard’.

The SW6 outfit’s scouts have ‘closely watched’ their target in multiple matches, where he has received ‘rave reviews’.

The Verdict: One for the future

Sanusi has been hailed an ‘exciting’ player by Birmingham’s U21s manager Steve Spooner and he would be a great signing for the future of Chelsea.

The talented prospect naturally operates on the left wing but offers wonderful versatility having also operated down the right and as a centre-forward throughout his career so far.

Sanusi is also an England youth international having been capped for both the U16s and U15s sides, so has a bright future ahead of him, quite possibly at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, with the Red Devils a ‘concrete threat’ to the Serie A side.

The Lowdown: Bastoni superb for Inter

The 23-year-old is arguably one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders currently, producing a string of influential performances for Inter in recent years.

Bastoni has made 19 appearances in Serie A so far this season, averaging 1.7 tackles per game in the competition, as well as 2.5 clearances in the Champions League, as per WhoScored.

The Italian is out of contract at Inter at the end of next season, however, meaning there could be potential suitors eyeing up his signature this summer.

The Latest: United linked with move

According to Inter Live [via Sport Witness], United are a ‘concrete threat’ to Inter with regards to Bastoni, as the Serie A giants desperately try to keep hold of one of their star men.

The Red Devils could reportedly ‘go as high as’ offering the young centre-back €8million (£7m) a year at Old Trafford, which is ‘triggering a new alarm’ at the Nerazzurri.

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The Verdict: Could be an outstanding signing

Bastoni could be a magnificent signing by United, considering what a formidable defender he already is, despite having most of his career ahead of him still.

The 17-cap Italy international could be viewed as a long-term successor to Raphael Varane at the heart of United’s defence, with the Frenchman turning 30 next month and never too far away from an injury layoff.

Bastoni and Lisandro Martinez could forge a wonderful long-term centre-back partnership at Old Trafford – one that may have the potential to match great pairings of the past, from Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister.

Whether or not Inter allow one of their most prized assets to move on remains to be seen – he won the league title in 2020/21 – but the player himself may jump at the chance to join the Erik ten Hag revolution.

Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has been reacting to the club’s reported talks with sporting director Antonio Cordon.

The Lowdown: Cordon for Lange?

Johan Lange is the current sporting director at Villa Park and has been since 2020. The 43-year-old has worked alongside Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard and now Unai Emery, but reports towards the end of 2022 said that his job is hanging by a thread.

Villa have now been linked with a move for Cordon and have held discussions with the sporting director after he announced he was to step down from his role at Real Betis.

The Latest: Preece reacts

Preece took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to share the news on Cordon. The Birmingham Live reporter described it as ‘quite a big deal’ and said Cordon is ‘the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons’, adding that there could be competition from Barcelona.

“Quite a big deal this as AVFC hold talks with Antonio Cordon, the man behind Real Betis’ incredible success in recent seasons, after he stepped down from his sporting director role this week. Villa face competition from Barca.”

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The Verdict: All change…

Christian Purslow is expecting an extremely busy summer at Villa in regards to incomings and outgoings, and it looks as if Cordon could help oversee those changes in place of Lange – he may have been in contact with Villa just last month in the transfer that took Alex Moreno from Real Betis to the Midlands.

As Preece mentions, Cordon signed a number of impressive players during his time at Betis, including Villa-linked Luiz Henrique, so it doesn’t come as a complete shock that Villa are in talks over a move to England, especially following speculation over Lange’s future in recent months.

Celtic have had another busy summer transfer window in terms of the number of players who have come to and left Parkhead.

The Premiership champions’ latest incoming transfer saw the Hoops bring in Sead Haksabanovic from Rubin Kazan on a five-year deal.

With only a few days left before the transfer window closes, this could give the Bhoys the opportunity to not only bring in another player who would strengthen their squad even further, but also act as new version of an important figure who left the club in 2021.

The player in question is Hajduk Split midfielder and reported transfer target Jani Atanasov, who could be seen as Celtic’s next version of Scott Brown after the veteran brought an end to his 14 years at Parkhead at the end of the 2020/21 season.

At the age of 22, the North Macedonian has made 60 appearances for his current club, scoring five goals and providing two assists in the process.

Last season saw the midfielder end his domestic campaign with an average of 1.6 tackles per game, which isn’t too far away from the 1.3 per match that Brown managed to end his final Premiership campaign at Parkhead.

This shows just how industrious the young midfielder is and why he’d be a valuable asset for Ange Postecoglou’s side, not just because of his tackles in midfield but also because of his occasional usefulness in front of goal. That also mirrors Brown, who scored 46 goals and supplied 63 assists in his 611 appearances for the Glasgow club.

Bearing in mind how the Hoops have seen the likes of Nir Bitton, Tom Rogic and Ismaila Soro exit the club since the end of last season, in addition to missing out on signing reported targets such as Fausto Vera and Vinicius Souza, securing a new defensive midfielder before the transfer window closes should be the top priority for the Scottish champions.

Furthermore, with the Premiership title to retain and other domestic trophies to contest, Celtic also have a Champions League campaign with Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Shakhtar Donetsk waiting for them in the group stage, so having optimum strength and depth in their squad will be crucial for the Bhoys.

With that in mind, securing a late swoop for Atanasov should definitely be something that Celtic look to complete before the transfer window closes.

An update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers’ plans for the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Gers reporter Derek Clark has revealed that, contrary to reports, the club are not looking to sign Romania international Darius Olaru.

He tweeted: “Reliably informed there is no Rangers interest in Darius Olaru.”

The Light Blues had been linked with a swoop for the attacking midfielder, although FCSB chief Gigi Becali had stated that the gem was not for sale until Friday (today).

Potential blunder

The apparent lack of interest in Olaru could be a big blunder from Ibrox chief Ross Wilson, as the Romanian has the potential to be an excellent signing for Gio van Bronckhorst’s team and a possible replacement for one of their current players.

Earlier this month, Pete O’Rourke suggested that Fashion Sakala could want out of Ibrox amid speculation over his future, saying: “I think it’s probably maybe more Sakala’s looking for an exit.

“He’s maybe seen his path to the first team at Ibrox blocked with the incomings this summer of Colak and the boy from Germany who’s of Bayern Munich, Tillman. So maybe he’s thinking he might not get many first-team opportunities at the club this year.”

It has been reported that Sakala is now set to stay at the club after English Championship side Burnley ended their interest in him, but O’Rourke’s comments suggest that he may not be happy with his current situation.

This leaves the door ajar to the Gers changing their stance on him later in the window if he decides to push for a move because of his lack of game-time, with zero minutes on the pitch this season so far in all competitions.

If the situation does change in the coming weeks and the Zambian ends up leaving the club, then it could be a big blunder from Wilson to not be interested in signing Olaru.

The 24-year-old enjoyed an eye-catching 2021/22 campaign as he scored six goals and set up 12 in 36 outings for FCSB, whilst he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve at that age.

Meanwhile, Sakala produced nine goals and six assists in 41 Premiership and Europa League matches combined last term, which suggests that Olaru offers a similar goalscoring threat whilst being far more creative to help his team-mates score.

Both of them can play virtually anywhere across the attack, which means that the FCSB star could be an ideal replacement for the Zambian forward due to his goal contributions and his versatility.

Olaru could also settle in quickly as he has played with Gers ace Ianis Hagi for Romania at under-21 and senior level, which could help to bridge the language gap whilst also settling him down on the pitch as well.

Therefore, not making a move for the gem to potentially replace Sakala could end up being a big blunder from Wilson, as the Romanian appears to be an exciting prospective signing on paper.

Arsenal have been tracking Yeremi Pino ahead of a potential move before the summer transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who revealed the exciting claim to GIVEMESPORT this week.

He said:

“They are one of many clubs that have been following him for a long time. He’s doing great with Villarreal. At the moment, there is still no bid or nothing advanced for Pino.”

GOAL recently claimed that the Gunners were interested in signing the 19-year-old sensation but the Yellow Submarines were holding out for a fee in the region of €45m (£38m), despite having an €80m (£67m) release clause in his current €57.7k-per-week (£48.5k-per-week) contract.

Arteta’s own Jarrod Bowen

The Spanish teenager, who has now been capped four times at senior level for his national side, has been a key player for former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at the Yellow Submarines over the past two years as they clinched the Europa League trophy over Manchester United in 2020.

It was a true breakthrough year for Pino last season, though, as he delivered seven goals and four assists across 40 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

That level of form has certainly attracted the interest of technical director Edu Gaspar as he looks to bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad with another winger, having missed out on Raphinha to Villarreal’s LaLiga rivals, FC Barcelona.

The 19-year-old, who Romano even lauded as a “special talent” earlier this year, has an interesting profile for a winger with FBref highlighting some likeness to West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen, who too has been linked with a switch to the Emirates Stadium this window.

Not only is he delivering in the final third but Pino also tracks back to help out his side defensively, which is always a bonus – when compared to fellow wingers across Europe over the last year, the youngster ranks inside the top 1% for blocks (2.62 per 90) and the top 24% for tackles (1.79 per 90), also via FBref.

Meanwhile, last season in LaLiga alone, he was within the top 2% for shots on target, the top 5% for goals per shot and the top 10% for non-penalty expected goals and assists, showing a similar sort of pizzaz to the West Ham star in the final third.

Bowen returned a whopping 12 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League for the Hammers last season and seems unlikely to be sold, particularly this late in the window, so in Pino, they could have a really viable alternative.

£38m may be a sizeable investment for a teenager but it’s some way off the premium fee it would take the Irons to sell. He thought to have an eye-watering £75m price tag.

As such, Edu and his recruitment staff should look to sign Pino before September 1st as Arteta could get his very own Bowen, which is a mouthwatering prospect along that right flank.

AND in other news, Arsenal have “genuine interest” in £25m “phenomenon”, could be a dream Arteta signing…

There has been an update regarding the fitness of Newcastle United midfielder, Jonjo Shelvey…

What’s the word?

As per journalist Craig Hope, the Magpies have been dealt a major blow with the Englishman facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, after picking up a hamstring injury in the pre-season clash against Benfica at the end of July.

Writing on Twitter about the 30-year-old’s potential long-term absence, the respected source stated: “Exclusive: Jonjo Shelvey set to miss first half of season after undergoing hamstring surgery. Midfielder expected to be out for 12 weeks into early November. Newcastle will now definitely keep Elliot Anderson at club rather than evaluate loan offers”

In his attached piece for the Daily Mail, Hope revealed that the former Swansea City playmaker is unlikely to feature again before the Premier League season is halted in early November, when the Qatar World Cup will get underway.

As he also alluded to, that fact will likely see promising teenager Elliot Anderson remain at the club beyond the end of the window, despite potential loan interest in the 19-year-old.

Must move for Maddison

Even with Anderson – who impressed last season on loan at Bristol Rovers – remaining part of manager Eddie Howe’s first-team squad, the former Bournemouth boss will still be left distinctly short of options in the centre of the park due to Shelvey’s injury woes.

Facing the prospect of a lack of depth in such a key area, the Tynesiders must surely ramp up their pursuit of Leicester City ace James Maddison, with the Englishman a quality, Premier League-ready figure who can slot straight into Howe’s side.

While not a direct replacement for the deep-lying Shelvey, the 25-year-old is comfortable both in a number eight role and in a more creative attacking berth, offering that much-needed link between the forward line and midfield.

The northeast side have already had two bids rejected for the one-cap sensation – the second of which was reportedly around £50m – with the Foxes holding out for around £60m for a player that Brendan Rodgers is desperate to keep.

That reluctance to sell is no surprise such has been the £45m-rated man’s sparkling form of late, with the former Norwich City ace netting 12 goals and providing eight assists in the top-flight last season, while he’s already got off the mark with an assist in Leicester’s opening weekend draw with Brentford.

Further additions had seemingly been needed even prior to this recent injury blow, with it now even more imperative that PIF are able to get another midfield player through the door.

With approaches having already been made, Howe and co must now step up their bid to land Maddison before the window draws to a close.