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Aston Villa have had a very busy January transfer window, having brought in the likes of Robin Olsen, Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho earlier in the month followed by their recent signing of Calum Chambers on a permanent deal from fellow Premier League club Arsenal.

With deadline day approaching, it seems as though the Midlands club could be looking at getting yet another new player through the door before the end of the month.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had his say about Villa’s reported interest in Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and the possibility of Steven Gerrard’s side signing him before the end of the month.

He said: “It’s a deal Villa are trying to do. I think the player is quite interested in a move to Villa as well, so this one could go right down to the wire.”

Since joining the Italian club back in 2017 from Boca Juniors, the 24-year-old – who is currently picking up £74k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has gone on to make 181 appearances for Max Allegri’s side across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing 18 assists along the way.

Fans would be ecstatic

Having seen the club strengthen their squad in almost every area of the pitch except central midfield this month, Villa fans would surely be over the moon if Bentancur is keen on joining and eventually makes the move in the coming days, especially with his experience of playing for a top club like Juventus, where he has won seven trophies and played in the Champions League.

With Villa having the lure of offering a player such as Bentancur the opportunity to play in the Premier League, they can also grant him the experience of playing and learning under the management of one of the league’s greatest midfielders in Gerrard, which could be a factor as to why the Uruguayan is apparently keen on the move.

Moving forward, if Villa can secure a deal for the Juventus ace before Monday’s transfer deadline, they could end the month with a flourish in what has been a very productive window for the club in terms of their recruitment.

In other news: Gerrard could unearth the next Michael Carrick at Villa with move for 20 y/o “diamond”

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now in a ‘strong position’ to sign Danilho Doekhi in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Souttar in

It has now been confirmed that John Souttar has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Ibrox faithful from Hearts, and he may even be able to play from this month if a further agreement can be made.

A few central defenders for the Teddy Bears are facing uncertain futures, and so bringing in a new centre-back was vital.

In truth, they could do with another one as well, given that both Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun’s contracts are up in the summer, with no sign of them renewing as of yet.

The Latest: Doekhi next?

As per The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell, the Light Blues are now in a ‘strong position’ to sign Doekhi, after confirming Souttar’s signing.

The Dutchman is also a player whose contract is up in the summer, and so he could also be very attainable this month.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Assuming both Goldson and Balogun leave, it would be a no-brainer to sign Doekhi up alongside Souttar.

He has been described as having ‘all the ingredients’ for a good centre-half by Dutch football agent Freddy van der Hoorn, as he is ‘aggressive’ being six-foot-three, but also ‘very comfortable’ on the ball as well (Rangers Review).

Doekhi has also hinted himself that he would like the move, claiming that he is ‘flattered’ by the Gers’ interest, and that they are a ‘very beautiful’ club (de Gelderlander).

Nonetheless, to play under Dutch legend Giovanni van Bronckhorst could well be a match made in heaven.

In other news, find out what transfer update has Gers buzzing here!

Yorkshire have released Jacques Rudolph from the final year of his contract, paving the way for a possible return to the South Africa line-up

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2010Yorkshire have released Jacques Rudolph from the final year of his contract, paving the way for a possible return to the South Africa line-up. The county have said that family reasons are behind Rudolph’s desire to return home, but it is known that he has been contacted about making a comeback to the international stage.Rudolph joined Yorkshire as Kolpak player in 2007 – meaning he didn’t count as an overseas cricketer – and passed 1000 Championship runs in each of his four seasons including 1375 runs in the recently completed 2010 campaign. In total he scored 8629 runs for Yorkshire in all competitions and his consistent form hasn’t been lost on the South Africa coach Corrie van Zyl. “We are aware that he has excelled in England over the past few years,” he told Sport24.co.za.”Whilst Jacques has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Yorkshire, he and his wife Elna have found it difficult adjusting to life in England,” said a Yorkshire statement. “Jacques has spent each winter with his family in South Africa and whilst his wife Elna moved to Leeds in an attempt to find suitable employment as a doctor, nevertheless this has not worked out as they both would have liked.”They are both very keen to start a family and, with an unsettled lifestyle, felt it was impossible to put down roots and make plans for the future. As such, they formally requested to be released from the final year of Jacques’s contract and the board of directors have granted this wish.”Rudolph played the last of his 35 Tests in August 2006 against Sri Lanka, in Colombo, and has scored 2028 runs at 36.21 after launching his career with an unbeaten 222 on debut against Bangladesh in 2003.

Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, in what would be a controversial move given his past connections in north London.

The Lowdown: Martinez earns Messi praise

The 29-year-old’s career has gone from strength to strength since leaving Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal, with the Gunners seemingly happy to allow him to leave.

Martinez has shone between the sticks for Villa and most prominently Argentina, proving to be the penalty shootout hero in their Copa America semi-final triumph over Colombia in the summer.

Lionel Messi called his compatriot ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’, following their eventual win in the competition, while he was even nominated for the Yashin trophy, such has been his incredible form at Villa Park.

The Latest: Spurs keen on move

According to The Independent, Spurs are eyeing up a move for Martinez next summer as a replacement for the ageing Hugo Lloris, in what is described as a ‘spectacularly divisive transfer’.

The Argentine’s current Villa deal doesn’t expire in the summer of 2024, however, and a deal could be ‘very difficult to negotiate’ – he is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt.

Alex Remiro (Real Sociedad), Alex Remet (Napoli) and Sam Johnstone (West Brom) are also mentioned as possible targets if a deal for Martinez can’t be struck.

The Verdict: Get him in

Martinez could be a superb signing for Spurs if they managed to snap him up, no doubt infuriating some Arsenal fans as an added bonus.

With Lloris now approaching 35 years of age, a long-term replacement could be required and the Villa man fits the bill perfectly, boasting 15 clean sheets last season, the third-most in the top flight.

He is in and around his prime years and seems to be improving all the time for club and country, keeping three clean sheets in the league this season and even saving two penalties, although one of which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored from the rebound.

In other news, a Spurs insider believes one player deserves a new deal. Find out who it is here.

Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, the inventors of what is widely regarded as the best available system to set revised targets in shortened games, have been awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)

Cricinfo staff12-Jun-2010Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, the inventors of what is widely regarded as the best available system to set revised targets in shortened limited-overs games, have been awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire).The Duckworth-Lewis method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and formally adopted by the ICC as the standard method for setting revised targets in truncated games in 2001. The complicated method, which also rewards the fielding side for taking wickets, has been a subject of controversy, most recently in the World Twenty20. Paul Collingwood, the England captain, complained of the revised target – 60 in six overs – set for West Indies after a rain delay as undermining a strong performance with the bat from his own team, which posted 191.There have been instances of teams miscalculating their revised targets, most famously in Durban during the 2003 World Cup when South Africa fatally erred, thinking they had secured a win when Mark Boucher hit a six off Muttiah Muralitharan. In fact they had only levelled the revised score at that stage before rain intervened, leading to their exit from the tournament.The method, however, has survived the test of time and the pair responsible for its creation was thrilled its contribution had been recognised. “I hope this award demonstrates to the outside world that the country believes we have made a useful contribution to the game – a lot of people haven’t actually realised we are actual people,” Duckworth said.Lewis added: “I was thrilled to get the news and it’s very satisfying that our solution to the rain-interruption problem on one-day cricket has been recognised in this way.”The system has also made its way into pop culture, with a band and its album of cricket songs going by the name ‘The Duckworth-Lewis method.’

Rangers maintained their 100% winning record under Giovanni van Bronckhorst in the Premiership on Saturday afternoon, securing a narrow 1-0 victory over Dundee United at Ibrox.

A second half penalty from James Tavernier secured the win for the Gers, extending their lead at the summit to seven points.

Despite Tavernier scoring the decisive goal, there was another hero for Van Bronckhorst’s side – Ianis Hagi.

The Romanian was instrumental on the right wing, enjoying a 77% passing accuracy with two key passes, as well as completing half of his long balls and crosses.

He was heavily involved throughout the contest, having 77 touches across the 90 minutes. Moreover, the 23-year-old also contributed defensively, making two tackles and winning six of his nine duels as the Premiership leaders picked up a fifth consecutive clean sheet in the league.

His overall match rating of 7.4 was the third-highest from SofaScore of anyone on the pitch, a reflection of how he helped to run the show for the home side at Ibrox this afternoon.

Hagi has had a slightly mixed campaign so far for Rangers, starting 13 of their 19 league games amid an ankle injury and testing positive for the global virus, which also saw him miss the club’s opening Europa League group game against Lyon.

The winger often looks dangerous on the flank but must add goals to his game to improve, scoring just three in 23 matches across all competitions this season, with a further four assists.

Moreover, the Romanian hasn’t scored in the Premiership since the opening day 3-0 win over Livingston. The playmaker will need to improve on this return, with reports suggesting that the Gers are looking to sign his fellow countryman Olimpiu Morutan of Galatasaray as an alternative to the 23-year-old.

Regardless of his lack of goals, Hagi is a vital cog in the Rangers setup and could prove a key player in the Scottish champions’ bid to retain their league title this season, particularly with impressive performances like the one against Dundee United today.

In other news: Van Bronckhorst reveals huge Rangers boost which will leave fans thrilled 

Newcastle United are reportedly now targeting a loan move for Gabriel Barbosa in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wilson blow

The St. James’ Park faithful would have slumped down in their seats when Callum Wilson was forced to come off in their 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United in the Premier League last time out.

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has since revealed that he suffered a torn calf muscle, and that he could now face months on the sidelines.

Given that Wilson is their top scorer so far this season with six goals in total over all competitions, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium will now have to find an adequate replacement, and fast.

The Latest: Barbosa targeted

As per The Daily Mirror, the North East club are now targeting an ‘exciting’ move for Barbosa next month, and are ‘interested’ in a loan deal for the Brazil international.

Eddie Howe is ‘desperate’ to add some more firepower to his team, especially given the news about Wilson, and Barbosa, known as ‘Gabigol’, is ‘among the options’ being explored on Tyneside.

His team Flamengo are ‘open’ to loaning him out for six months, with a £17m obligation to buy in the summer should the Magpies avoid relegation from the Premier League down to the Championship.

However, Barbosa is ‘not convinced’ about moving to the Toon, as he has doubts over who else they could sign amid a relegation battle.

The Verdict: Get it done

The new owners need to do all that they can in order to convince Gabigol to join in January, given their predicament with Wilson.

A loan deal would be perfect given their battle for survival, and he has shown throughout his career that he is a real poacher in front of goal.

The 25-year-old has scored a total of 149 times at both senior and youth level for club and country, which is impressive considering his age.

Nonetheless, he would be a smart addition to the squad, and the loan-option deal means if worst comes to worst he will not be a heavy burden on the club’s finances if they go down.

In other news, find out who Nick Hammond is now pushing to sign for NUFC here!

After a 16-year absence from the Premier League, Leeds United ended their 2020/21 campaign with an impressive ninth-place finish with 59 points after 18 wins, five draws and 15 defeats.

This season, however, has not been as smooth as some Leeds fans would have hoped for, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side winning just three of the 16 league games they’ve played so far in this campaign.

Another worrying factor for Leeds this season is that they’ve only managed to net 17 goals so far this season, 13 fewer than they managed to score by the same point in time last season.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, one option that the Yorkshire club could take to improve their attacking power for the remainder of the season is by potentially securing a deal for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, who has been spoken about with a possible move back to Leeds by Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge in an interview GIVEMESPORT.

Taking into account how the 22-year-old reportedly rejected a new deal from Arsenal in recent weeks, putting his future at the club into question, this could provide Leeds with an opportunity to work out a deal for him in January that could suit all parties.

Nketiah knows what it’s like to play for Leeds and what Bielsa wants from his players after spending a few months on loan at Elland Road back in August 2019.

During his time at Leeds, the Arsenal forward managed to score five goals and provide one assist in 19 appearances. Those performances led to fine reviews from the Whites boss with Marcelo Bielsa dubbing him a “complete player.”

This season has seen the Englishman make just five appearances for Arsenal across all competitions but has managed to score two goals in those appearances.

If Bielsa thinks he can get a tune out of Nketiah in the Premier League, then Leeds should definitely explore the possibility of bringing him back to Elland Road either on a loan deal or on a permanent basis. With 20 goals at senior level, he is used to finding the net on a regular basis and he could be the catalyst the sparks a revival in Leeds’ season.

A review from Thierry Henry tells you exactly why that’s the case. He once said:

“He is a great kid and was a pleasure to work with. He was always on time, listened hard and was a good worker, willing to learn and improve.

“He will always score goals, even when he’s 60. He is just a killer in the box.”

With Patrick Bamford having injured himself after celebrating his own goal on his return from another injury at the end of their 2-2 draw against Brentford, it could be worth Leeds adding an extra attacking option such as Nketiah to their squad.

In other news: Worse than Firpo: Orta dropped LUFC clanger on £60k-p/w dud who’s “wildly out of form” – opinion

The Red Devils were given a reality check by Fulham at the weekend, but the Dutchman remains blind to their glaring flaws

Erik ten Hag fooled everyone into thinking Manchester United had turned a corner after a strong start to 2024, with four successive Premier League wins taking them back to within sight of the top four. Results started to turn after he welcomed key players back from injury, just as he predicted would happen, and talk of his potential dismissal died down.

But all the problems that were masked by individual moments during that mini-resurgence came rushing back to the surface when Fulham arrived at Old Trafford on Saturday. The Cottagers emerged with a 2-1 victory, their first at the Theatre of Dreams in 21 years, thanks to a 97th-minute strike from Alex Iwobi.

It was only the second time Marco Silva's side have won away all season, but they fully deserved the three points after slicing through United's midfield at will. It was the hosts' 10th Premier League loss of the season, one more than they recorded throughout the entire 2022-23 campaign, and it leaves them eight points behind Aston Villa in the race for the final Champions League spot.

Nottingham Forest are up next in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they will fancy their chances of repeating their 2-1 win over United – achieved at the City Ground in December – mainly because Ten Hag is still refusing to budge on a set of principles that makes his team far too easy to play against.

Getty'You have to see the bigger picture'

"After one defeat you have to see the bigger picture, and the bigger picture looks very good," Ten Hag said at his latest post-match press conference. "We have to catch up in certain positions and get the injuries back, then we will be more in balance and also strengthen the squad in the transfer windows. You see there are many good players coming up and real high-potential players. They will be getting better, so definitely we are going in the right direction."

The United boss appeared to be referencing Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25 percent stake in the club, with the INEOS chairman currently in the process of putting a new recruitment team in place to overhaul the muddled transfer policy that has been so damaging to the club over the past decade.

But at this rate, there is a very good chance Ten Hag won't be involved in the revolution. Yes, United badly missed Rasmus Hojlund against Fulham, as the Danish striker had been on a scintillating six-match scoring run, and losing Casemiro to a head injury early in the second half was a cruel blow.

United are also having to make do without star defensive duo Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez, but regardless of what starting XI Ten Hag puts out, the theme is always the same. The 54-year-old insists on a high press that his players are incapable of committing to, either through a lack of quality or drive, and opposing teams exploit the massive gaps they leave in the middle of the pitch.

AdvertisementGettyExecution struggles

Across their last five games against Fulham, Luton, Aston Villa, West Ham and Wolves, United have allowed 100 shots at their goal. Ten Hag wants his team to dictate the pace of matches and play quick, incisive passes once they move into the final third, but the players lack the technical quality to execute his vision.

Fulham were just the latest team to play through United's press and pounce on their sloppy passing time and time again. The Red Devils always look vulnerable in and out of possession, and a lack of mobility in defence often leaves Andre Onana exposed between the sticks.

That was clear for all to see for Iwobi's winner, which came after a trademark run from Adama Traore. The former Barcelona winger initially picked the ball up in his own half before bursting past Christian Eriksen and Harry Maguire, and was allowed to advance all the way to the edge of the box before laying it off for Iwobi, who then fooled Amad Diallo and Diogo Dalot with a simple touch onto his right foot before lashing into the bottom corner.

In truth, Ten Hag's men didn't really show any signs of life in the game at all until Maguire headed in an 89th-minute equaliser, as Fulham boss Silva alluded to after the final whistle. "It is clear in my opinion the better team on the pitch won the game," he said. "We are the team that created the most chances, that played better and tried to win most of the moments of the game."

United are playing like a side battling to avoid relegation, not one chasing a seat at Europe's top table, and most of the blame has to fall on Ten Hag.

(C)Getty ImagesTen Hag definitely not 'best in class'

“We need to populate all the key roles with people who are best in class, 10 out of 10s,” Sir Jim Ratcliffe said when sitting down for a media briefing after seeing his minority takeover at Old Trafford approved last week.

Omar Berrada has already been appointed as United's new CEO after being lured away from Manchester City, and INEOS are now working to bring in Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth. Top marks must be given for those ambitious moves, but none of the work behind the scenes will pay off if United don't have the right man sitting in the dugout.

After 21 months in charge, it's pretty clear that's not Ten Hag. He's spent £410 million ($500m) on 16 new players since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax, but it could be argued that none of them have been a success.

Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez had impressive debut seasons as United secured a third-place Premier League finish and the Carabao Cup, but the former's age has caught up with him this term and the latter has been ravaged by injury. Brazilian forward Antony, meanwhile, has done absolutely nothing to justify his £85m ($108m) price tag and now finds himself behind Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo in the squad pecking order.

Signings from last summer such as Onana and Mason Mount have also proven to be huge missteps, and even Hojlund took months to settle after his move from Atalanta, after United opted to go for the youngster instead of Premier League goal king Harry Kane. It's little wonder, then, that the Red Devils are failing to put Ten Hag's philosophy into practice.

Ratcliffe's right-hand man Sir David Brailsford was present to watch United's latest abject display, and wouldn't have had anything positive to report back. There is nothing to suggest that Ten Hag is a "10 out of 10" manager right now, and the club won't properly start to move forward until he's gone.

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GettyMan City could strike final blow

United's 2023-24 campaign has been a complete disaster, and nothing can change that now. There may not even be anything left to play for by the start of next week.

Ten Hag will be on the brink again if he can't guide United to the FA Cup quarter-finals at Forest's expense in midweek, which would prove once and for all his "right direction" claim is completely ludicrous. He will take his band of misfits to the Etihad Stadium four days later for a huge derby encounter against City, with 15 points currently separating the two Manchester rivals – but the gulf in class between them is far bigger than that.

United were battered 3-0 by their noisy neighbours at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture, and the final scoreline could have been far worse. City had 21 shots at goal to the home side's seven and dominated possession throughout, with Erling Haaland netting a brace before Phil Foden rounded off a comfortable victory.

Another humiliation would effectively end United's Champions League qualification hopes, and surely leave Ratcliffe with no choice but tear up Ten Hag's contract one year early.

Few venues in world cricket are as evocative as the WACA. From the days of Dennis Lillee thudding the ball into Rod Marsh’s upturned gloves, to the sight of Curtly Ambrose claiming seven wickets for one run in a legendary spell in 1992-93, it is a ground

Andrew Miller at the WACA14-Dec-2010Few venues in world cricket are as evocative as the WACA. From the days of Dennis Lillee thudding the ball into Rod Marsh’s upturned gloves, to the sight of Curtly Ambrose claiming seven wickets for one run in a legendary spell in 1992-93, it is a ground that has promised riches for all bowlers who relish pace and bounce in their deliveries.Around the turn of the 2000s, however, the WACA lost its bite, as the tired old pitches gave up the ghost after years of being baked in the Western Australian heat, and the ground’s reputation took a hit as a consequence. But according to the curator, Cameron Sutherland, a return to the surfaces of old is on the cards for the coming Test, as part of an overall project to revive the venue’s aura.”We’ve totally redeveloped the wicket block,” said Sutherland. “We dug it up and started again three years ago, and have been doing it stage by stage. This is only the second first-class game on the Test wicket – we played the West Indies Test on it last year and were pretty happy. Every year as it settles and compacts, it gets harder and gets better, and we think we are on the right track.”With two days to go until the Test gets underway, the pitch is a remarkable sight, with live grass giving the surface a lush green tinge that Sutherland says is a deliberate bid to improve the battle between bat and ball, even if – to judge by the effect in recent Sheffield Shield fixtures – the actual impact of the covering is likely to be less dramatic than its appearance would suggest.”Most of the Shield wickets have been new-ball wickets,” said Sutherland. “In the first 10 overs the quicks get a bit of movement, with a bit of swing around. We are aiming for similar, and are quite happy to have a bit of grass and colour in it for the Test. It took WA a season to get over looking at the colour, because it probably doesn’t influence the way it plays. There will a bit of nibble, but it won’t go excessively either way.”In the five years since Sutherland has been the WACA’s head curator, there has been just the one drawn Test match, and that was his first match in charge, when Jacques Rudolph batted South Africa to an improbably comfortable stalemate after being set an unlikely 491 in the fourth innings. But despite some definite signs of life in State cricket, Sutherland admits that he hasn’t quite got the formula right for his five-day surfaces.”This is the last piece in the puzzle,” he said. “The comment comes every year that the Shield wickets have been pretty lively and quick but what’s happened to the Test wickets? It hasn’t been for the want of trying. Hopefully this year will be similar to what we prepare for the domestic season. We’re in a better place with the ground and the wicket development is going nicely. Hopefully in the next three or four years we will keep improving it.”Either way, Sutherland does not expect a repeat of the scenario that he faced during a second XI fixture between Western Australia and New South Wales in November, when a dramatic temperature change caused cracks of up to 4cm to appear on a good length. The match came close to being abandoned but in the end NSW were persuaded to play on so long as there were “no silly buggers” from the pitch – and so it proved as they mustered 244 in the fourth innings to lose by 234 runs.”That grass we had only put in six months ago and our root establishment was not as good as it could have been,” explained Sutherland. “Since then we have had two four-day games with temperatures of 38C all the way through, so the Test wicket has sat there and baked. We estimate we will get some cracking, but that’s a characteristic we want – the soil we use sets hard but also cracks, and that’s part of the WACA.”Given the WACA’s history we’re hoping for a result, but it’s up to the players to make the most of it,” he added. “I’ve listened to people on the radio from the Gabba and Adelaide saying ‘gee, I wish some wickets would deteriorate’. Our characteristic is cracking. How much it opens up will depend on the weather. You might bowl first, get the freshness out of the wicket early, and then the cracks might even the contest up later.”