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Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes the Whites should copy Liverpool and sign a proper left-back this summer, as they did with Andy Robertson.

The Lowdown: Alioski set to leave

Marcelo Bielsa will need to be on the lookout for a new left-back in the next transfer window, with Ezgjan Alioski almost certain to leave Elland Road.

The 28-year-old isn’t a natural in that position, however, filling in admirably but not always looking completely comfortably there.

Former Leeds midfielder James Milner played at left-back for Liverpool for a full season before Jurgen Klopp brought in Robertson from Hull City, making a huge difference to the Reds with his attacking prowess.

The Latest: Mills calls for established left-back to arrive

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills has called for Leeds to adopt the same approach, signing an out-and-out left-back who can help take the Whites up another level:

“He’s (Alioski) done incredibly well to fill in, I would say. He’s been fantastic for social media and he seems like a fantastic guy who’s done a very good job for Leeds.

“But if you’re looking to go to the next level…

“Go back to Liverpool, they tried it with James Milner, they tried it with other players at full-back and it didn’t work. They then get in Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Robertson and they go to a whole new level. It’s their position, it’s what they are used to doing.

“Players can only fill in for so long before they get found out. If it’s not natural, against the better teams you start to get found out and that’s where it becomes a bit of an issue.”

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The Verdict: Copy Liverpool’s approach

There is only so long that a player can thrive in an auxiliary role, and while Alioski has been a fantastic servant for Leeds, it would be nice to see a proper left-back come in at Elland Road.

Someone like Whites-linked Ajax defender Nicolas Tagliafico seems perfect, in that respect, possessing a wealth of experience at club and international level, winning 27 caps for Argentina and being valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Robertson showed the difference it can make, giving Liverpool more natural balance down the left flank, and a new signing in that role could do the same for Leeds.

In other news, a pundit has hinted at an attacking Leeds player leaving the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

After helping Inter Milan to their first Serie A title in 11 years, Romelu Lukaku is a wanted man across Europe and Steve Howey, who made 100 appearances for Manchester City, exclusively told Football FanCast that the striker would have no doubts about joining the Premier League champions.

Lukaku spent two indifferent years at Manchester United where he scored 42 goals in 96 games but eventually departed for Italy with Inter Milan in a £75m deal as he fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Sergio Aguero is set to leave after the Champions League final against Chelsea and there have been reports linking Lukaku with a sensational move to the blue half of Manchester, in a similar transfer that saw Carlos Tevez join City back in 2009.

Lukaku has proved himself to be one of the deadliest finishers in Europe with 28 goals this season and Howey spoke exclusively to FFC about how the Belgian would not be bothered about annoying Man United fans if he joined City.

Howey said: “I think given his experience at Manchester United I don’t think he’ll have any major alliances with Man United. I think some players look at it and think I’m going to go to a rival team and I’m going to make sure I’m absolutely amazing.

“He certainly knows where the goal is and his confidence seems to be sky-high. So, I think if he came back to the Premier League, he would strengthen Man City’s team, no doubt about it.”

The Belgian international won his first league title since 2010 this season when Inter Milan, in the end, breezed to the title and Lukaku’s partnership with Lauturo Martinez has blossomed into a dangerous one as the Argentine looks set to reject Barcelona’s advances and sign a new deal.

Lukaku made a name for himself during his loan spell at West Brom as his goals helped spearhead the Baggies to a respectable eight place finish during the 2012/13 season.

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been going wild on social media following Louie Barry’s FA Youth Cup goal against West Brom on Friday evening.

Villa booked their place in the final for the first time since 2010 with a 4-1 win over their rivals.

The semi-final was played at Villa Park and was broadcast on BT Sport, with goals from Barry, Carney Chukwuemeka and Brad Young, as well as an own goal, ensuring that Sean Verity’s side will meet Liverpool in the final.

However, it was Barry’s first half effort that had plenty of fans talking. The 17-year-old, who scored at the same end against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the FA Cup third round back in January, curled an unstoppable effort beyond the Baggies goalkeeper to put Villa back ahead in the early stages.

Villa fans react

The club shared Barry’s goal on their official Twitter page on Friday night, and these Villa supporters heaped praise on the youngster, with one describing the goal as ‘sensational’.

“Scenes we wish we were there for! What a talented player!”

Credit:@MatthewPonter 

“Oh my word…”

Credit: @charlcox6

“brilliant”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“Sensational #UTV”

Credit: @farky1210

“Barry to Young. Just like the good old days.”

Credit: @A1istair

“Our future is just on another level”

Credit: @PhillWhitehouse

In other news: Villa join transfer race for former Chelsea starlet, find out who it is here. 

Following a turgid team performance in Sunderland’s play-off semi-final first leg defeat earlier this week, Lee Johnson must unleash Chris Maguire in the reverse fixture this Saturday.

With the Black Cats’ season very much hanging in the balance after their 2-0 defeat against Lincoln City on Wednesday, Johnson’s side must simply go all-out at the Stadium of Light this afternoon if they are to have any chance of playing in the Championship next season.

Indeed, in the first leg, the 39-year-old Sunderland boss made the rather strange decision not to involve Chris Maguire over the course of the 90 minutes, something which appeared to backfire rather substantially considering they left the game scorelless.

However, Johnson must right this wrong on Saturday, as the 32-year-old has proven on countless occasions this season that he has the capability to be a game-changer for his side.

Having started a mere 11 League One games for the Black Cats this season – making a further 22 appearances from the bench – Maguire has nevertheless returned an impressive haul of five goals and five assists, as well as creating seven big chances for his teammates.

What makes these returns all the more impressive is that the forward’s goal involvements have often come at crucial moments, such as restoring his side’s lead in an eventual 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle, setting up Charlie Wyke’s winner in a 1-0 victory against Swindon Town and scoring a 97th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Crewe Alexandra.

The man who Jack Ross labelled an “enigma” has very much shown that he is a man for the big occasion, and occasions do not come much bigger than having to overturn a 2-0 deficit in a play-off semi-final to save your season.

As such, Johnson simply must unleash the £4,400-per-week forward on Saturday in order to give his side the best possible chance of avoiding yet another season in the third tier of English football.

In other news: SAFC gain transfer boost over “fantastic” £8m machine which will surely have fans buzzing – opinion

Cristiano Giaretta has been handed a boost in his bid to bring Siriki Dembele to Watford this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Peterborough Telegraph, who claim that Peterborough United are yet to enter into contract renewal talks with the 24-year-old centre-forward, who is heading into the final year of his deal at the Weston Homes Stadium.

The report goes on to state that if the forward does not new agree on terms with this summer, he will be placed on the transfer list, as is club policy.

This is sure to have piqued the interest of clubs such as Celtic, Rangers, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Watford, all of whom have been credited with an interest in the Posh star.

Giaretta will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Dembele has been for Peterborough this season, if the forward does indeed go on to be placed on the transfer list this summer, Watford’s sporting director would undoubtedly be buzzing.

Over his 42 League One appearances for Darren Ferguson’s side this term, the 24-year-old has scored 11 goals, registered 10 assists and has created a whopping 17 big chances, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game, culminating in an average Sofascore match rating of 7.06 – ranking him as the club’s joint seventh-best player in the third tier.

It was reported last year that Barry Fry would demand a fee of around £5m to part with the forward, however, with just one year left on his deal at the Weston Homes Stadium, and with Posh likely eager to sell in order to receive the largest fee possible, it is not difficult to imagine this figure being slightly lower in the upcoming transfer window.

As such, a move for the £2.6k-per-week man – whom Ferguson dubbed as “outstanding” – would seem to be extremely appealing for Giaretta both on and off the pitch, as Dembele appears to very much have the potential to prove a real threat within Xisco Munoz’s attacking arsenal, as well as being a transfer that would not break the bank for the newly-promoted side.

In other news: Watford dealt transfer blow over “excellent” £450k-rated gem, Giaretta will be gutted – opinion

Everton are reportedly set to open talks with Nuno Santo over their vacant managerial role…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Merseyside outfit have made the 47-year-old their leading candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park.

It’s thought that the Portuguese boss, who departed Wolves after the final game of the 2020/21 season, is in pole position with him receiving strong support from the Toffees’ hierarchy.

Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is said to have been impressed by Wolves’ development under Nuno, and he sees him as a perfect fit to work with the current Everton squad.

Shades of Big Sam

The Everton supremo must not have witnessed this campaign as the Midlands outfit declined immensely under Nuno.

Having enjoyed promotion to the Premier League and qualification to the Europa League in just two years, Wolves slipped to 13th place, where they were amongst the lowest scorers in the division.

No team 16th or better scored fewer than their 36 goals, even relegated West Brom were only one strike from matching that tally. Of course, a lot can be attributed to the fact that they devastatingly lost leading talisman Raul Jimenez early on in the season.

However, Nuno introduced a new style of play during his final season that the Telegraph’s John Percy has insinuated was quite negative as they now see Bruno Lage as the man to take them forward with a fresh, attacking and entertaining system.

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He has earned the praise of many top coach, including Pep Guardiola, who dubbed him an “excellent manager” whilst Reds boss Jurgen Klopp once lauded him “incredible.”

It’s certainly a gutting blow to lose Ancelotti, who has been their best manager since Howard Kendall – during his first spell – in terms of win percentage but a move for the former Wolves coach could see them go in the opposite direction.

The Italian brought an exciting brand of football to Goodison Park and that was backed up by his signings in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of James Rodriguez and Allan.

Nuno is more Sam Allardyce, notorious for his negativity on the pitch, than another Ancelotti or even a Roberto Martinez.

Big Sam won just ten of his 26 matches in charge of the Merseysiders and the fanbase never truly warmed to him.

For example, after one win over Newcastle, the 66-year-old told reporters: “What was wrong with our style tonight?” and that subsequently left many at Goodison Park reeling as the Toffees’ only shot on target fortuitously saw them clinch all three points.

As evident above, Wolves struggled to score under Nuno this season, with club-record £35m signing Fabio Silva scoring just four times in 32 appearances. That should worry Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and that should worry the Everton faithful, too.

Again, there are further comparisons to be had between Big Sam and Nuno, as the Englishman’s big-money signings – namely Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun – flopped massively.

On the above evidence, director of football Marcel Brands risks playing with fire if the Portuguese is genuinely amongst his top candidates for the vacant role.

It could prove to be a disaster for the Toffees.

AND in other news, Everton could find their next Pienaar in 22 y/o who can “torment defenders everywhere”…

Newcastle United’s move for Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is not done yet, with the player’s agent ‘looking for the best deal’.

That’s according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

Newcastle have been scouting the centre-back for a ‘couple of seasons’ and sources at Celtic had indicated that a £6million transfer will be completed in June (via Chronicle Live).

Ajer is about to enter the final year of his contract at Parkhead, putting the Hoops in a somewhat weak negotiating position.

Newcastle, of course, still need to agree personal terms with the 23-year-old, who’s been earning £14,000 per week in Glasgow.

The latest

Ryder says Ajer’s agent is ‘touting the player around’ as he searches for the most lucrative arrangement.

Though the fee appears to be a ‘bargain’, there is a ‘premium to be paid’ in terms of agent fees and wages, four words which are sure to worry the Toon given the rumours of their extremely low transfer budget this summer (£8m-10m, plus sales, via Football Insider).

Newcastle are still said to have ‘plenty of competition’ for Ajer, who’s won three league titles and five cups at Celtic.

The verdict

This would be a commendable piece of business from Newcastle, but they may have to move quickly.

You sense other suitors will be waiting to pounce on a hint of uncertainty and snatch the impressive, youthful centre-half from the Magpies’ grasp.

Equally, though, the club will not want to be held to ransom, and will surely have alternatives in mind.

The agent is clearly holding a few tricks up his sleeve to drive up the fees and wages, which is hardly ideal for a club operating on a tight budget this summer.

In other news, two journalists have issued predictions on the future of Matty Longstaff.

A number of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting on social media after reliable reporter Sam Wallace suggested a move for Nuno Espirito Santo has broken down. 

Palace’s hunt for a new boss appeared to step up a gear on Tuesday after John Percy revealed the club were in advanced talks with Nuno.

The Eagles have been linked with a number of managers in recent months, including Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard and Eddie Howe, but it appeared as if the former Wolves gaffer was Palace’s man.

However, Wallace revealed on Wednesday morning that a potential move to Selhurst Park has broken down with both parties unable to reach an agreement despite extensive negotiations.

It now seems as if it is back to the drawing board for Steve Parish and the Palace hierarchy, who are looking to replace Roy Hodgson ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Palace fans react

It didn’t take long for these Eagles supporters to interact with Wallace’s post, with many sharing their distraught.

“Worst run club in the league”

Credit: @Benteke_SZN

“The most typical palace thing ever”

Credit: @mattm_92

“I’m going to cry.”

Credit: @escobond_

“we’re actually finished man”

Credit: @notconnorlmaov2

“Yep, that’s that then.”

Credit: @cpfcjude

“Oh well say goodbye to all the Portuguese flags”

Credit: @samstoreycp

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to links to possible Wilfried Zaha replacement, find out more here. 

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is interested in signing Chelsea starlet Valentino Livramento this summer.

What’s the story?

Having already completed the signing of Emi Buendia, Villa appear to have swiftly turned their attentions elsewhere as they look to strengthen Smith’s squad.

And, according to Goal, the Midlands club are eyeing up a move for 18-year-old right-back Livramento this summer, and that while Serie A giants Milan have got in touch, “Villa are among clubs that seem more viable options for the young full-back”.

The report further claims that the versatile teenager’s future at Stamford Bridge could be in doubt if the Blues land Achraf Hakimi from Borussia Dortmund.

Fans will love it

At just 18, Livramento would join the array of exciting young talents already at Villa, with the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Louie Barry in particular surely hoping to make a big impression on the first-team next season.

The Midlands club were, of course, the winners of the FA Youth Cup at the back end of last season, and that’s a real testament to the outstanding work Villa have been doing at academy level.

And in the 5 foot 8 Livramento, they would be getting another superb young addition.

Dubbed as a “huge talent”, the England youth international has even captained the Young Lions, playing through the U16s all the way to the U19s.

A profile piece done by Chelsea’s official website, said: “Tino Livramento is a defender who plays predominantly at right-back or right wing-back, from where he likes to get forward and attack.

“2020/21 saw Livramento become regular for the development squad, and while still available for our youth team, by January he had contributed eight assists and two goals in 14 Academy outings from various positions on his favoured right side of the pitch.”

And, despite his age, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was particularly effusive in his praise of the 18-year-old.

He said: “I love the academy boys. We have Anjorin and Livramento regularly joining training. The academy has outstanding quality. Every club who has young guys constantly coming in making it, it creates a bond in the club and supporters.”

While signings for the here and now – like Buendia for example – are absolutely key to Villa’s chances of succeeding next season in the Premier League, making sure the academy is in good hands too is paramount.

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It’s exactly why Villa fans should be buzzing at the prospect of Johan Lange going after a rising star from the reigning Champions League holders.

Meanwhile, Villa are interested in signing this Premier League star…

James Forrest, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull are all expected to stay at Celtic this summer.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou has a busy few months

New Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou looks set to take Hoops training next week after making progress in regards to quarantine protocols.

John Kennedy, Gavin Strachan and Stephen McManus will take Celtic’s first day of pre-season on Friday, but Postecoglou should have time in charge before the club’s training camp in Wales next month.

He looks set to be a busy man when it comes to recruitment ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, but it seems he’ll have three Celtic stars available to him going forward.

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The Latest: Devlin drops update on Scottish trio

The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin shared a story on Postecoglou on Wednesday and how his Hoops side could line up.

Devlin suggested that the 55-year-old could look at a 4-3-3 system, with McGregor and Turnbull as two No 8s and Forest as a right-winger.

He claimed that the Scottish trio are ‘among the few first-team quality players expected to stay’.

The Verdict: A worrying time for the Hoops?

Although the news on Forrest, McGregor and Turnbull expecting to stay is a positive one, it appears to be a worrying time for the Hoops.

Devlin suggests the three are ‘among the few first-team quality players expected to stay’, which points at a number of exits to other Hoops stars.

The likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard have both confirmed their desire to quit Parkhead recently, and there appears to be no real desire to get additions through the door.

Celtic need to get a move on when it comes to their transfer business, especially at the back and in attack, as they have just over a month until their Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland.

They could give themselves the best chance to progress if they can get bodies through the door quickly, but at this moment in time, it doesn’t look likely.

Should no additions arrive and Ajer and Edouard leave, Postecoglou could be left with Stephen Welsh as the only fit senior centre-back due to Christopher Jullien’s injury and Albian Ajeti as the only recognised centre-forward, if Leigh Griffiths fails to earn a new deal.

Very worrying indeed.

In other news: Trophy-laden club captain wanted by Postecoglou; he is a big fan of Celtic coach, find out more here.