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Football Insider pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to an Aston Villa transfer update involving Unai Emery.

The Lowdown: Emery green-lights January move

The 51-year-old has enjoyed an excellent start to life in charge at Villa Park, winning his first two Premier League games against Manchester United and Brighton.

The Spaniard is set to be backed with a ‘huge’ budget in the January transfer window and has personally green-lighted a move for Villa to bring in a new A-list versatile forward.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider regarding the transfer news, McAvennie said that it ‘would be a great piece of business’ by Villa and Emery if they manage to land a ‘top striker’.

The former Villa marksman said of Emery: “I think he is a great manager. He is well-respected, well-renowned and plays the game the way it should be. I do not know if he complicates it too much.

“But they need to bring in somebody that can bang in the goals. Aston Villa is a huge club. People tend to forget that, they are absolutely huge. It would be a great piece of business if he brings in a top striker.”

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The Verdict: Exciting times for Villa

Danny Ings was among the goals on the weekend, taking his Premier League tally to five for the season, with four of those goals coming after Steven Gerrard’s exit last month.

He looks set to be a key member of the squad for Emery in the second half of the season alongside Ollie Watkins, although bringing in another high-quality forward could help take Villa to the next level.

Everyone associated at Villa Park will be hoping that Emery can take the club into Europe, so landing a marquee forward could be the perfect first step in his transfer window at the helm.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring Theo Walcott back to Southampton on a permanent basis has massively backfired, as he is burning a wage with the Saints.

The experienced winger originally joined the Saints on loan from Everton for the 2020/21 campaign, in what was a homecoming for the former Arsenal man after he began his career at St Mary’s.

However, it soon became clear that Hasenhuttl was thinking with his heart rather than his head when bringing Walcott back, as he has struggled immensely in his time at the club.

During a loan spell, the 33-year-old would manage three goals and three assists in 21 Premier League appearances, averaging a solid, if unspectacular, 6.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was enough to convince Hasenhuttl that he was worth signing on a permanent basis, as he joined on a free transfer from Everton in the summer of 2021 but it seems as if that was done for sentimental purposes, as he has made just ten Premier League appearances since then.

Walcott’s role as a bit-part player and someone who is perhaps slowly transitioning into more of a coach and influencer in the dressing room would perhaps be justifiable if it weren’t for the huge wage he earns in comparison to the rest of the squad.

According to Capology, the former England international earns £75k-per-week at St Mary’s, which remarkably makes him the top earner at the club.

Considering Walcott’s first and only appearance in the Premier League this season came last weekend against his former club Arsenal, it is impossible to justify Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring him back and hand him such a large contract, as his form on loan hardly justified that.

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As the winger has been at Southampton on a permanent basis for 69 weeks, as his move became permanent on the 1st of July 2021, the Saints have paid out £5,175,000 in wages for a player that has barely featured.

It is clear that the veteran Englishman is not going to play much of a part this season so Hasenhuttl must look to move him on in January or risk wasting even more money on his wages, only for him to sit on the bench.

Leeds United have been dealt a fresh injury blow regarding left-back Junior Firpo.

What’s the latest?

Speaking on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist revealed that, after Jesse Marsch confirmed that the 26-year-old missed the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday as a result of a knock, the defender’s latest setback is believed to be a thigh injury.

Hay went on to state that, with Firpo having already been sidelined for two lengthy spells following his move to Elland Road in the summer of 2021, in addition to Pascal Struijk having impressed at left-back, the full-back’s latest knock could well see the club make a move for a new player in the position in the not too distant future.

Regarding Firpo’s injury, The Athletic journalist said: “I’m told that he’s got a slight thigh problem.

“I think as it stands at the moment, it’s hard to see him shifting Struijk from the team, I think Struijk has done enough to keep himself there, but it seems to me that at some point they’re going to have to bite the bullet at left-back and sign somebody else.

“It doesn’t need to be someone vastly experienced, it can be a project of sorts provided that you feel confident enough to play them in first-team games.

“Firpo almost falls into the category of [Patrick] Bamford at the moment, the conversation about him of how it could be when you have Firpo in the team when he has a run in the team. He’s another player that hasn’t played much at Leeds.”

Bad news for Marsch

Considering just how little first-team football Firpo has played since his £13m move to LS11, the news that the defender has now suffered yet another injury setback, especially having only made a return to action in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at the start of the month, is sure to have come as bad news for Jesse Marsch.

Indeed, with Stuart Dallas also being ruled out until at least the turn of the year as a result of a fractured femur, the American manager has been left with no other option than to deploy centre-back Struijk on the left of his backline for the majority of the current Premier League campaign.

And, while the 23-year-old has impressed over his eight league appearances in the position this term – averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.91, currently ranking him as Leeds’ fifth-best performer in the top flight – it is nevertheless far from ideal for the 48-year-old coach to continue fielding Struijk out of position when he could be utilised at centre-back.

Furthermore, with Firpo reported to be earning a princely £55k-per-week at Elland Road – ranking him as the Whites’ seventh-highest-paid player – it is evident that the defender’s continuous injury setbacks only make the full-back appear more and more like a waste of money as each week passes.

As such, while his latest knock would not appear to be overly serious, the left-back’s increasing proneness to injury is sure to come as a huge blow for Marsch, who may well already be considering a long-term replacement for the former Barcelona defender in the January transfer window.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has outlined the ‘mistake’ that Glasgow Rangers may have made in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Seven new signings

The Ibrox outfit did make seven new signings in the summer, but also let go of experienced heads like Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Leon Balogun (Transfermarkt).

They have reportedly been exploring the possibilities of signing Fabian Delph and Gary Cahill as free agents since the window closed, which suggests they may not have been completely satisfied with their business.

The Latest: Rangers ‘mistake’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that it was a ‘mistake’ by Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side not to buy an extra central defender as well as a goalkeeper:

“I’m sure most managers would look at the window, you’re not going to land all your top targets, that’s never going to happen, it just doesn’t happen that way in football.

“And I’m sure Van Bronckhorst thinks he should have maybe brought in another new central defender after losing a few with the likes of Leon Balogun leaving in the summer.

“Maybe not bringing in another central defender was a mistake as well as perhaps a goalkeeper because (Jon) McLaughlin has struggled in some games this season as well, while (Alan) McGregor is not getting any younger.”

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The Verdict: Reinforcements needed

Given their start to the season, where they have lost 4-0 to bitter rivals Celtic and have also been defeated in both of their UEFA Champions League group stage games to Ajax and Napoli respectively, it is clear that the Gers need more reinforcements on top of the signings they made in the summer.

Cahill is still available as a free agent, and so would offer them that extra central defensive cover, but they could also do with upgrading the goalkeeping department.

McLaughlin has been criticised for some of his poor performances this campaign, while McGregor is 40 years of age and so does not have many years left at the top level.

Nonetheless, it could be a busier than usual January transfer window for the Light Blues.

Tottenham Hotspur ‘will be in the market’ for a like-for-like Bryan Gil replacement should the winger leave the Premier League club this week, according to Dharmesh Sheth. 

The lowdown: Gil set for Valencia return

This comes as the 21-year-old is reportedly on the verge of returning to Valencia on loan, where he spent the second half of last season.

The Spain international was part of the pre-season preparations in north London, although he has been left on the bench for the opening three fixtures.

Should Gil leave Tottenham, one well-informed onlooker has suggested that Spurs could enter the market for a similar operator…

The latest: ‘Try and do a deal’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth claimed that Tottenham will attempt to replace the four-cap Spain starlet if his loan exit is sanctioned.

The Sky Sports reporter said: “I think Tottenham will be in the market to try and do a deal. I think Antonio Conte has been public in saying that he would bring in somebody if a member of his first-team squad left.

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“The Bryan Gil one is an interesting one, only because he was on the cusp of that first-team squad. I think he’s been impressed with Bryan Gil and what he did during pre-season and he’s been involved in a couple of the squads so far this season.

“But he’s basically a fringe player in that squad just now. So, whether he would bring in somebody who would replace Bryan Gil and walk straight into the first team, that’s questionable. It might just be to replace Bryan Gil, maybe with a young player potentially.”

The verdict: Options available

Linked with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Adama Traore, Ruslan Malinovskyi and Hakim Ziyech in recent days, it seems there are no shortage of options to explore in the market for Fabio Paratici.

However, out of those aforementioned candidates, only Gordon would fit the bill as a talented youngster with the potential to grow into something special in the future.

With Gil only likely to leave on a season-long loan, Tottenham would be wise to seek a similar deal for Conte’s squad and perhaps prepare for the return of the £16.2m-valued Spaniard, who has been described as a ‘really tricky’ operator by ex-Spurs defender Alan Hutton.

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.

Leeds United have seen some fairly young players make their way to the Yorkshire club over the course of the summer transfer window.

However, there are still some vastly experienced players in the squad that Jesse Marsch will undoubtedly be relying on throughout the upcoming season.

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One figure, in particular, that will be a big help for some of Leeds’ new players – specifically their new midfielders such as Tyler Adams, Marc Roca and Brenden Aaronson – is Mateusz Klich.

At the age of 32, the midfielder is currently the oldest outfield player at the Yorkshire club and has a total of 178 appearances under his belt for the Whites.

In those appearances, the Polish international has scored 22 goals and provided 21 assists along the way.

Bearing in mind his age, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could give Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch the chance to bring in what could be a new version or long-term heir for Klich.

One player that has been linked with a move to Elland Road who would fit this criteria is Sporting Lisbon midfielder, Matheus Nunes.

With 131 appearances for the Portuguese club to his name across their senior and U23 sides, the 23-year-old has found the net 10 times and delivered 11 assists in the process.

This shows the similarities between the two players with their ability to score and provide goals for their teams.

In addition to this, their two previous league campaign shows just how similar they are.

For example, having both made 33 appearances each, the duo both racked up 28 crosses and at least 30 interceptions and an almost identical number of successful tackles.

This highlights just how useful they both are for their sides in terms of being attacking threats and tough defensive figures as well.

Nunes has even caught the attention of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who labelled the Portuguese star as “one of the best players in the world.”

Moving forward, despite having a rather hefty release clause of €60m (£50m) written into his current contract in Portugal, if Sporting would be willing to let their star midfielder go this summer, this could be a very exciting move from the Whites.

AND in other news: Graham Smyth drops huge behind-scenes Leeds transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a move for Portuguese midfielder Andre Almeida in recent weeks but the youngster’s disappointing form last season suggests he could be another Vitinha at Molineux.

Recent reports have claimed that the Old Gold are preparing a bid for the Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder, who would reportedly cost £9m, as Bruno Lage looks to add to his options in the middle of the park.

However, it is difficult to see what the 22-year-old would add at Molineux, as his performances in recent seasons have been less than impressive.

In the 2021/22 league campaign, Almeida made 31 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight, contributing no goals or assists and averaging a poor 6.63 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He also averaged just 24.3 passes per game last season, whereas both Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were closer to 60 passes per fixture in the Premier League, so it is difficult to see what qualities he would offer Wolves as a central midfielder.

Almeida might have a lot of potential, but he has no experience of the Premier League and struggled in Portugal last season, so it would be a surprise if he was a success in a more physical and competitive league.

His signing would perhaps be reminiscent of the deal that saw Vitinha join Wolves on loan from Porto in 2020, with the youngster going to make just 19 appearances for the Old Gold, the majority of which came from the bench.

He would average a shocking 6.23 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while Nuno Espirito Santo suggested he perhaps wasn’t ready for the Premier League, so it was definitely a failed signing.

While he has subsequently gone on to star for Porto and earn himself a move to PSG this summer, Almeida’s lack of goals and assists for Vitoria Guimaraes suggests that he will not follow the same trajectory.

If Wolves are to rectify their shocking form from the end of last season and propel themselves up the Premier League table next season, then Lage arguably needs to be aiming much higher with his new signings.

AND in other news: Lage must seal Wolves swoop for £18m machine who’s “exploding”, imagine him & Neves

Having finally wrapped up the signing of Morocco international, Nayef Aguerd, West Ham United boss David Moyes is reportedly set to press on with further transfer business…

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard’s Giuseppe Muro, the Hammers are said to be targeting as many as six additional signings to that of the 26-year-old, centre-back, with Moyes set to be significantly backed ahead of a campaign that will see the club once again juggle domestic and European commitments.

While no potential targets or priority positions are mentioned in the report, the latest suggestion is that a new centre-forward is one area that needs addressing, with Chelsea youngster Armando Broja believed to be a current player of interest, following his impressive stint on loan at Southampton.

The Albania international’s former Saints teammate James Ward-Prowse is another name to have been linked with a move to the London Stadium, while Alphonse Areola could be set for a permanent stay after his recent temporary spell.

Supporters buzzing

Although it remains somewhat difficult to narrow down who the Irons’ actual targets are this summer, the fact that they appear set to recruit so extensively will be music to the ears of the club’s support, as Moyes’ men look to kick on again next term.

Having secured European qualification for the second season running last term, the former Manchester United boss will be acutely aware that his side will need to be strengthened, with resources having been stretched, particularly defensively, as a result of their remarkable run to the Europa League semi-finals last season.

That lack of potential squad depth has been hampered even further by the retirement of club captain Mark Noble, while fellow midfielder Alex Kral appears unlikely to see his loan move made permanent, having made just a single Premier League appearance in the 2021/22 campaign.

Equally, Croatia international Nikola Vlasic appears set for a swift departure after just a solitary campaign with the club, while veteran winger Andriy Yarmolenko is set for pastures new following the expiry of his contract, with full-back Ryan Fredericks set to follow him out the door.

Those departures – or potential exits – have left a number of holes to be plugged for Moyes and co this summer, while in attack the lack of genuine competition to Michail Antonio also remains a concern, with the club simply unable to rely on 32-year-old alone for another campaign.

To know that the Hammers are plotting to hopefully solve those issues, however, with a raft of new additions will no doubt be of great delight to the club’s supporters, with the arrival of the aforementioned Aguerd seemingly just the tip of the iceberg in the current window.

IN other news, Moyes plotting move for “special” £45m “baller”, he’d be a “superstar” for West Ham

Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson has delivered an update on Lee Gregory’s future at Sheffield Wednesday during a fan Q&A session.

The Lowdown: Gregory’s debut season

The 33-year-old first made the switch to League One when he joined the Owls in a permanent move from Championship side Stoke City last summer, where he has become a regular feature in Darren Moore’s starting XI in his debut season at Hillsborough, racking up 39 appearances across all competitions.

When the striker put pen to paper on arrival, his contract was set to run until 2023, so with just 12 months now remaining on his current deal, the club will no doubt be sweating over his future after such a successful campaign.

The Latest: Howson drops Gregory update

In a fan Q&A session for Yorkshire Live, Howson was asked by a supporter whether Sheffield Wednesday are in negotiations over a new agreement for Gregory, confirming there are no talks yet but they will be in the pipeline:

“Not sure talks have taken place yet with Gregory but I am sure that is one Wednesday will be looking to sort out sooner rather than later. Gregory was superb in his first year at the club.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The former Potters star was a standout performer for the Owls during his opening campaign in the third-tier, so it wouldn’t come as any surprise to see the club wanting to extend his stay for as long as possible.

Throughout the 2021/22 term, the forward, who was once hailed an “instrumental” player by former Millwall teammate Tom Bradshaw, scored an outstanding 16 goals and provided six assists in League One, as per Transfermarkt, and was a pivotal figure in helping his side reach the play-offs.

Looking ahead to next season, Gregory will be pivotal if the club manage to go all the way and seal promotion to the Championship, so this update that talks are due is certainly an exciting one.

In other news… Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of a new defender.