Wolverhampton Wanderers are considering a shock summer swoop to sign Nice goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel as a new report reveals the club's concerns over the long-term future of Jose Sa.

How old is Kasper Schmeichel?

Schmeichel is 36 years of age having been on the scene now for almost two decades. He spent 11 years of his career in the Premier League with Leicester City, but eventually he left the King Power Stadium in August 2022 to join Francesco Farioli's side at the Allianz Riviera.

The Denmark international firmly established himself as their official number one following his arrival having started 36 out of the 38 games in Ligue 1 during his debut season, and despite still having another two years remaining on his contract, the shot-stopper has been attracting interest once again in England.

Nottingham Forest are believed to have identified the 6 foot 2 colossus as a suitable alternative to Manchester United’s Dean Henderson should they not be able to secure his services, though if the following update is to be believed, a new competitor has entered the running in the form of Gary O’Neil at Molineux.

Are Wolves signing Kasper Schmeichel?

According to TEAMtalk, Wolves are "considering a move" for Schmeichel before the end of summer transfer window.

The Old Gold feel that they could be "forced to lose" Sa as a result of needing to balance the books to help with their financial worries, and Nice's goalkeeper is one that Fosun are "keeping tabs" on because they view him as a "ready-made replacment" for their current first choice.

The Premier League's former star is thinking about a return to England, so this could be one to keep a close eye on in the final weeks of the market.

How many clean sheets has Kasper Schmeichel kept?

In Ligue 1 last season, Schmeichel kept 11 clean sheets from 36 games, so even though he’s not getting any younger, he’s still performing at an extremely high level, therefore it’s no surprise that Wolves are contemplating a swoop for the experienced man between the sticks.

Sponsored by New Balance, the shot-stopper also recorded 105 saves from 141 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 77.3%, via FBRef, which was significantly higher than Sa’s 67.1%, showing that he’d be an upgrade on O’Neil’s current number one.

Nice’s £65k-per-week earner additionally has a strong range of passing having completed 100% of his short passes and 97.4% of his medium attempts last term, showing that he clearly has an eye for picking out balls to his outfield teammates, so for someone who is this well-rounded in terms of being equally strong with his hands and his feet, he's the perfect target for club chiefs to be pursuing.

Finally, Schmeichel, who has been dubbed a goalkeeping “legend” by journalist Josh Bunting, possesses a winning mentality having won five pieces of silverware since the start of his career, so could help to create a positive mindset should he put pen to paper in the Midlands.

أكد السويسري مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، أن الفريق لم يلعب الكرة الذي كان يريدها خلال مباراة الترجي التي أقيمت مساء السبت في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

الأهلي تعادل مع الترجي، سلبياً، في مواجهة ذهاب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، التي أقيمت على ملعب حمادي العقربي في رادس بتونس.

وقال كولر خلال تصريحات في المؤتمر الصحفي بعد المباراة: “كانت مباراة قوية كما توقعت، لم نلعب الكرة التي كنت أريدها”.

وأضاف: “الشوط الثاني كنا أفضل ودخلنا المباراة، هذا الشوط الأول ومتبقي شوط ثان في القاهرة، وسيحتاج أن نقف بشكل جيد، نغلق المساحات ونأخذ مخاطرة في الأمام على أرضنا لكي نفوز بالمباراة”.

طالع.. فيديو | رامي ربيعة بعد التعادل مع الترجي: اللقب لم يحسم.. وتعلًمت من لاعب الأهلي السابق

وتابع: “لكرة التي انفعلت سببها أن حكم اللقاء احتسب تسللًا، ولم يعطنا إتاحة الفرصة من أجل الهجوم على مرمى المنافس، لذلك ظهرت في حالة انفعال، أرى من وجهة نظري أنه كان يجب أن يسمح بالفرصة لأنها كانت خطيرة جدا، هو بصافرته منعها”.

وواصل: “لم أبحث عن التعادل أمام الترجي، كل مباراة أخوضها مع الأهلي ايًا كانت هدفي يكون الفوز، اللعب خارج الديار والحصول على التعادل هذه نتيجة يجب أن تقبلها كما هي”.

وأشار: “الترجي فريق كبير وقوي وخلق فرصة أو اثنتين في الشوط الأول وهذا يظهر قوة الفريق، المباراة في القاهرة، يجب أن يكون لدينا تركيز وصلابة دفاعية ونحاول أن نحرز أهدافاً لكي نحصل على اللقب”.

وعن إصابة علي معلول، أوضح: “عندما سنعود إلى القاهرة سنقوم بإجراء آشعة لكي نرى مدى تطور إصابته، ليس لدي معلومة مؤكدة عن إصابته”.

ويستضيف الأهلي نظيره الترجي، يوم السبت المقبل 25 مايو في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية و6 بتوقيت تونس في إطار مواجهة الإياب لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا. تصريحات كولر بعد مباراة الأهلي والترجي في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

Leeds United are readying an approach to sign Stoke City left-back Josh Tymon, however, they aren’t the only Championship side keen on his services.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

The Whites and Daniel Farke look set for a busy final few days of the transfer window, with owners the 49ers Enterprises sealing a marquee move for striker Joel Piroe on Wednesday evening.

The club will pay Swansea City an initial £10.5m which could rise to £16m with add-ons. Piroe became the fifth arrival of the summer after Ethan Ampadu, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram and Joe Rodon.

Alongside Piroe, Leeds have also agreed a fee with Bayer Leverkusen for midfielder Nadiem Amiri, so the German appears to be on course to become the sixth addition.

However, after both Piroe and Amiri, it doesn’t look as if the club have any plans to stop when it comes to incomings, with a new left-back seemingly on the radar.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are considering a move by readying an approach for Tymon. The report claims that second-tier rivals Swansea City are also keen on the player, and it remains to be seen if Stoke would be willing to let the full-back leave late in the window.

Who is Josh Tymon?

Leeds have Leo Hjelde and Junior Firpo on the books at left-back, whereas Sam Byram has provided cover with the pair both out through injury recently.

Tymon is 24 years of age and can play as a left-back or left midfielder, highlighting his attacking ability. The Englishman moved to the Potters back in 2017 and after loan spells with MK Dons and Famalicao in Portugal, has gone on to make 120 senior appearances for his current employers.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Now valued at a career-high €3m by Transfermarkt, Tymon was hailed by former manager Michael O’Neil, labelling him as a player who is athletically very good and quick.

"Josh is one that I'm delighted to see playing as he is now because he was a boy I felt wasn't in a great place. He had a difficult time with changes of manager at the club, having been brought here as a young player when we were in the Premier League with a lot of potential.

"Credit to him because he's done that and he's playing with a real belief and confidence in himself that he has to continue."

A move could well be one to keep an eye on before the September 1 deadline, but with links to more midfielders Glen Kamara and Lewis O’Brien, Leeds’ focus after Piroe and Amiri could be on bolstering their midfield ranks even further before looking at a left-back.

Matt Rawnsley, the former left-arm spinner, is also understood to be on a three-man shortlist to replace Tom Scott at New Road while club are also looking for a new director of cricket

George Dobell17-Dec-2017

Two former Worcestershire players have made it on to the short-list to be the club’s new chief executive.ESPNcricinfo understands that Vikram Solanki, a former captain, and Matt Rawnsley, a former left-arm spinner, are on the three-man shortlist.There was some thought that Tom Scott, the current CEO, might stay on. While he had tendered his resignation some time ago, there was some debate at the club over whether he might be persuaded to stay on once Steve Rhodes’ departure was agreed – the pair are not close – and once the constitution of the club had been changed to ensure the primacy of the CEO in the management structure. At present the club’s CEO and director of cricket are on the same level, though the changes will be put before the club’s members at the AGM in the new year.Eventually, however, it was decided that the recruitment process had reached a point of no return and that Scott’s departure would allow the club a fresh start after one of the more tumultuous episodes in their recent history. He leaves at the end of the week.While Rawnsley had nowhere near the cricketing career of Solanki, he has substantially more business experience. He is currently managing director at Barnes Group (a manufacturer of industrial and aerospace components) and has previous experience as sales manager for Caterpillar in North Africa, Middle East and CIS while he is also president of the UK Spring Manufacturers’ Association.Solanki, who made two ODI centuries for England, is currently an assistant coach at Surrey and served as chairman of the PCA.Meanwhile the search for a new director of cricket continues. While the club have reached out to Graeme Hick, currently the Australia team batting coach, he is understood not to have reacted with much enthusiasm (he declined to comment when asked about the role by ESPNcricinfo), with Kark Krikken, Ben Smith and Nic Pothas understood to other potential options. It may well be the club decides to appoint a head coach rather than a director of cricket.The role became vacant after Rhodes was sacked following an investigation into his failure to report the arrest of a young player in a timely manner. While Rhodes is understood to have found out about the arrest of Alex Hepburn on suspicion of rape in early April, he did not inform the club’s management until the player was charged in November. In the intervening period, Hepburn had played for the first team and agreed a new contract at the club.Rhodes’ departure, after 33 years at the club, appears to have polarised views. While some are horrified at his actions, others point out they were consistent with a man who was committed to protecting and nurturing young cricketers and who achieved promotion in the county championship last season with a team containing, much of the time, 10 home-grown players. It might also be noted that he had nothing to gain personally from trying to protect Hepburn.Either way, the successors of Scott and Rhodes inherit a club in a substantially better state on and off the pitch than has been the case for several years. Playing in Division One of the Championship in 2018 with a team containing some of the brightest talents in English cricket, they are also on a much more stable financial footing.

The two seamers struck at the fag end of the day to dismiss half-centurion Adnan Raees and Aamer Sajjad to leave the title clash tantalisingly poised

The Report by Danyal Rasool22-Dec-2017
ScorecardFrancois Nel/Getty ImagesWater and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Sui Northern Gas Piplelines Limited (SNGPL) finished the second day just as evenly matched as they had been when they began it. Two late wickets off consecutive overs saw WAPDA surge back into contention, reducing SNGPL to 171 for 5 at stumps, after they had been bowled out for 259. It was two settled batsmen who were dismissed – Adnan Raees for 65 and Aamer Sajjad for 35 – at the fag end of the day as WAPDA’s seamers hit back in their quest to defend their title.WAPDA’s bowlers had started the day well, dismissing overnight batsmen Yasir Shah and Iftikhar Ahmed within the first four overs. It was Mohammad Asif who provided the opening breakthrough, coaxing Yasir to spoon a catch to Mohammad Saad. The tailenders offered some resistance, but SNGPL were bowled out for 259 in 102 overs.WAPDA’s innings began with high drama, Samiullah Khan dismissing Salman Butt for a duck before umpires deemed it to be a no-ball. It seemed to have unsettled Butt, who played a scratchy innings. He was ultimately trapped lbw by the same bowler for 24 off 74 balls. SNGPL then made regular inroads, also removing Zahid Mansoor and Mohammad Saad – the second highest scorer in this tournament – cheaply.Mohammad Abbas was the pick of the bowlers, hitting his lines with trademark accuracy and nipping the ball both ways. His figures of 14-4-26-2 were just rewards for his efforts.WAPDA managed to dig their way out of the hole they were in at 88 for3 with a gritty 74-run partnership between Raees and Sajjad, who negotiated much of the latter half of the day with excellent technique and patience. The bad balls were put away, but they rarely went for shots that weren’t on, fully focussed on seeing out the rest of the day.SNGPL, however, struck with five overs left, and struck lethally. Both batsmen were removed within five balls of each other as a day that WAPDA could have otherwise claimed swung back to parity.

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing to make late summer signings to replace world-class striker Harry Kane, who completed a £100m transfer to Bayern Munich earlier this month.

The north London club have been active this summer after a miserable Premier League campaign last time out, with the club finishing eighth in the division and hence failing to qualify for Europe.

Ange Postecoglou has been brought in to lead from the dugout, and has indeed made a wealth of signings, including James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Micky van de Ven, and is now seemingly eyeing up another attacking acquisition in Barcelona star Ansu Fati.

What's the latest on Ansu Fati to Tottenham?

According to El Chiringuito TV – via Caught Offside – Tottenham are considering signing talented Barcelona winger Fati before the transfer window slams shut next week, with Aston Villa also interested.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The player's agent, Jorge Mendes, is eager to provide his client with a new stomping ground, touting the young Spaniard at €50m (£43m).

How good is Ansu Fati?

Having waved goodbye to their star man in Kane, there will understandably have been some trepidation pervading around the Lilywhites support, with the club's record goalscorer not easily replaced.

But if the opening phase of the campaign is anything to go by, life under Postecoglou could prove fruitful, with a battling away draw against Brentford preceding a succession of victories against Manchester United and Bournemouth.

Tottenham are demonstrating early signs of a fluid and cohesive outfit, with them not placing an over-reliance on any one man and playing as a team. Because of this, Fati would perhaps be wise to select the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his next destination.

Once proclaimed to be a "generational player" by Barcelona boss Xavi, Fati burst onto the scene with frightening ability, scoring eight goals aged just 16 across the 2019/20 term, following up with five goals and four assists from ten outings in the following campaign, only to see a detrimental injury hamper his development.

Now 20, the nine-cap Spain star is on the periphery at Camp Nou and likely needs to move away from Catalonia to kickstart his career, and should Spurs succeed in their pursuit, they could well wield their very own version of Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.

Indeed, while Fati has been playing near the fringes at Barcelona, he still ranks among the top 21% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for total shots, the top 6% for pass completion and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.

Such metrics have prompted the statistics-led site to list Rashford as Fati's most comparable player, with the £300k-per-week Red Devil ranking among the top 1% of positional peers for goals, the top 2% for total shots and the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

With both players blessed with lightning speed and a fleet-footed gait, Fati could rival Rashford's presence by growing into his skin under Postecoglou's stewardship, perhaps finding his shooting boots and emulating his 25-year-old peer's 30-goal campaign for Manchester United last year.

While Fati has endured a rocky road during the early stages of his career, his immense talent is undeniable, and he must now move to kickstart his career and thrive as one of Europe's foremost attacking stars.

Nottingham Forest have submitted a bid to Galatasaray for defender Victor Nelsson, according to reports, as Steve Cooper looks to bolster his defensive options ahead of the Premier League season.

The Midlands club haven't been afraid to splash the cash so far this summer, welcoming Antony Elanga, Ola Aina, and Matt Turner, as well as turning Chris Wood's initial loan deal permanent.

What's the latest on Victor Nelsson to Nottingham Forest?

The Premier League side have submitted a bid worth €18m (£16m), with bonuses seeing it potentially rise to €22m (£19m), according to Aksam, via Sport Witness, who have reported that Galatasaray are ready to accept the offer to fend off any future Financial Fair Play issues.

The Turkish side initially wanted the defender's €25m (£22m) release clause to be triggered, according to reports, but have seemingly been forced to settle for Forest's offer.

With the Premier League season getting underway, Steve Cooper will be keen to welcome Nelsson as soon as possible, in order to find his best starting line-up quickly and avoid a relegation battle.

Forest have, of course, been helped by the fact that the defender is willing to accept the move, with a reported desire to play in a bigger league such as England's top flight.

With that said, the deal is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Should Nottingham Forest sign Victor Nelsson?

Desperately hoping to avoid a dreaded case of second season syndrome, Nottingham Forest must welcome all the quality that they can get. And, whilst the focus has mainly been on attacking reinforcements this summer, with the arrival of Elanga particularly exciting, now could be the best time to reinforce their backline.

Last season, Forest conceded 68 goals – the fifth most in the league – highlighting just how much they could do with a central defender this summer, which is where Nelsson would come in.

For Galatasaray last season, the central defender made 35 appearances in all competitions, playing a crucial part as his side won the Turkish Super Lig in dominant fashion, securing the title by eight points. It perhaps sums up the power of the Premier League that Forest are in a position to target such players, after facing a relegation battle last season.

If they can secure the signature of the defender, Forest fans may breathe a sigh of relief, with their campaign getting underway with a trip to Arsenal in a difficult start. Whilst their attack is impressive, Forest's survival status could come down to whether the can remain firm defensively, something that Nelsson would certainly help.

Speaking on his side's summer business so far, Cooper told TalkSport, via Nottinghamshire Live: "We need more players, to be honest. We have to be open enough to talk about signings. I think quite rightly there was a feeling that we just signed a load of players. It was unique what happened last summer, and something that hasn't happened before.

"It ended up serving as a big motivation to me to make sure we succeeded where there was a feeling that we couldn't. We now are going through that normal process of having a squad and wanting to do better than last year."

The fast bowler’s five-for against Zimbabwe means South Africa may have to choose between him and Dale Steyn for the first Test against India

Firdose Moonda28-Dec-2017

Morne Morkel claimed his first Test five-for in five years against Zimbabwe. It is a statistic that barely tells the story of the kind of danger he poses, but one that he hopes will allow him to keep his spot in the starting XI for the summer’s bigger contests.”It was nice to get wickets under my name so when it comes to selection, guys will maybe think about me,” Morkel joked after the Boxing Day Test.The reality for Morkel is not quite so funny.Despite being the most successful seamer in the match, he is the also the one most at risk of missing out when Dale Steyn returns, as soon as next week. South Africa take on India at Newlands from January 5 in the first of three Tests, and will likely stick to a frontline attack of three seamers and a spinner in Cape Town. Kagiso Rabada, the highest wicket-taker for South Africa in 2017 and second-highest overall, and Vernon Philander, a menace on seaming pitches, are all but secure. This leaves the selectors to choose between the swing of Steyn and the bounce of Morkel, who admitted he “never knows,” if it could be him on the bench.”We’ll have to see,” Morkel said. “Dale has been bowling exceptionally well in the nets. He looks strong, he is very fit and I reckon he would have been a handful on this [Port Elizabeth] wicket but it’s another week for him to freshen up.”It’s also another week without game time for Steyn, which may work in Morkel’s favour. While Steyn has not played an international fixture since November 2016, Morkel has featured in all but one of South Africa’s Tests since March. Morkel missed the second match against Bangladesh in October after suffering a side strain in the first and needed six weeks to recover.Despite only playing one 20-over Ram Slam game (Steyn featured in five), Morkel took to the field in a three-day match before the Boxing Day Test. He bowled 19.4 overs and took seven wickets in that match. Steyn, meanwhile, returned 0 for 16 from his 12 overs for CSA XI against the touring Zimbabwe side. On workload alone, that may have meant Morkel was going to play ahead of Steyn in the four-day, day-night Test, but a viral infection Steyn picked up on the eve of the match saved the selectors from needing to choose between the two.Now Morkel has international overs in the legs while Steyn has spent the last week in the nets. That may make it prudent to play Morkel in the first Test against India, while sending Steyn off to play a three-day match. South Africa’s provincial teams have a round of fixtures from January 4 to 6, which may be used to prepare Steyn for a Test return on spicy Highveld surfaces.South Africa have asked their groundsman to prepare pitches with pace and bounce and to leave grass on them to facilitate seam movement as they prepare to push the home advantage against India. Even at St George’s Park, where it is usually slow and flat, the ball was nipping around. Though leaving more grass on the pitch is a common tactic in pink-ball matches, it was also a convenient time to let India know what they are in for.Morkel was careful not to sprout too many threats too early. “For me, there is no personal sort of message, for us it’s important not to get involved in those sorts of things,” he said. “If we are strong and we are fit and we get the results in the wickets column, it will make nice reading in the papers. In the past, the build-up has always been great, the talk of the wickets, the talk of the bounce, we do have a slight advantage, but we still need to land the ball in the right areas, still need to bowl with intensity.”He emphasised the third session as being particularly important for the South Africa attack because it’s then that their endurance will be tested. “It’s going to be about that last session in the day when the ball is soft and conditions are tough,” Morkel said. “Majority of the runs in Test cricket are scored after tea time. So for us, it’s going to be if we have enough petrol in the tank to knock India over at the back end of the day.”Morkel’s own fitness over the last few months has been a focal point for him, especially because he spent most of 2016 on the sidelines with what could have been a career-ending back injury. He worked on smoothing out his action and prioritising international cricket. “With the back injury I had, it was important for me to really look at the schedule and find windows where I can do my conditioning work,” he said. “England was a big tour for me, I wanted to be fit and I knew if I went to IPL, which can be quite a demanding six weeks, I would be in trouble.”Whether he will return to the T20 leagues remains to be seen but for now Morkel is committed to playing for South Africa for as long as possible, even as an understudy to Steyn. “Mentally, I am a lot fresher [when I take breaks], it gives me a lot more time to work on certain things,” Morkel said. “When you play back-to-back series or games you don’t really have that time to work on certain things. But now, to set goals and to try and reach that is very pleasing.”

Fulham lost away at Manchester City today, but the game was not without drama, with VAR once again coming under scrutiny for failing to disallow the hosts' second goal.

What was the Man City vs Fulham score?

The Cottagers were defeated 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, in a match they would have been expected to lose, though the way it panned out will still be very frustrating for Marco Silva, as a key decision near the end of the first half changed the game.

Man City went 1-0 up just after the half-hour mark, with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring, before Tim Ream equalised just two minutes later, giving the visitors hope about taking something from the game.

On the stroke of half-time, however, Nathan Ake found the back of the net for City, heading past Bernd Leno to restore his side's lead in controversial fashion.

Although the goal was not ruled out initially, Man City journalist Sam Lee was taken aback by VAR's decision not to overturn it upon review, with Manuel Akanji appearing as though he had interfered with play.

Lee said: "Goal given! I am very surprised by that, would have been very easy to say Akanji was in the way of Leno imo."

Fulham podcaster Sammy James was even more critical of VAR's failure to restore parity, after what appeared to be a blatant offside, saying: "That is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. If Akanji isn't there, Leno saves it. An absolute joke."

Speaking live on Sky Sports, former referee Mike Dean also expressed his shock with the decision, saying: "It just can't stand. He's jumped over the ball, he has to be interfering,

"It just has to be disallowed."

Such was the Fulham players' frustration with the costly decision, some outlets reported that they initially refused to restart the game, with it ultimately proving to be a game-changing moment, as Man City ran out 5-1 winners.

How did Fulham play against Man City?

Although the Cottagers ultimately lost 5-1, there were some positives to take from the game, particularly their performance in the first half, during which they recorded two shots on target, and a higher xG value than City, indicating they were creating good chances.

However, the game turned on its head in the second half following the bizarre decision from VAR, with the hosts going on to dominate possession and score three goals from three shots on target, with Leno putting in a poor display.

The German recorded a Sofascore match rating of just 5.7 – the joint-lowest on the pitch alongside Antonee Robinson, who also struggled for large periods of the game. Only Raul Jimenez received a rating above seven.

As such, while the VAR decision ultimately changed the course of the match, Silva will also be frustrated with the performances of some of his players, as the second-half performance was subpar.

Up next for Fulham in the Premier League is a home match against Luton Town next Saturday, in which they will be hoping to bounce back with a victory.

Aston Villa could find the perfect opportunity to reinstate their interest in one of their reported summer targets, as Unai Emery weighs up his squad options with the end of the transfer window in sight.

The Spaniard has already recruited Moussa Diaby, Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and soon-to-be unveiled Nicolo Zaniolo, however following long-term injuries to Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings, he could resort to delving back into the market.

There has also been speculation regarding the potential departure of a few names at Villa Park, with one name who started the opening fixture tipped to bid farewell to the club.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano gave an update on the future of Lucas Digne, who started at left-back against Newcastle United last week, with the journalist hinting that the 30-year-old is heading towards the exit with interest gathering for his services.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

One name that could replace the defender is earlier summer target Kieran Tierney, who made the headlines during Arsenal’s opening game of the season as he was not named in the squad to play Nottingham Forest.

The Scotsman has had to accept a more sporadic role at the Emirates following the emergence of Oleksandr Zinchenko, and could now depart the club after four years.

As claimed by The Scottish Herald, the 26-year-old dynamo was absent from the fixture with ‘growing transfer speculation’ surrounding him.

Valued at a reported £30m by the Gunners, Villa were named as one of the clubs interested in his talent, with the Times reporting back in June that the Villans were jostling with Newcastle to sign the defender.

What is Kieran Tierney’s playing style?

Deployed at left-back, the former Celtic ace is a strong defender as expected, as well as being a player that enjoys getting involved offensively on the flank.

A player confident in possession and a reliable attacking outlet, Tierney is progressive in his approach to play, as highlighted by his average of 5.17 progressive passes per 90 over the past year, ranking him within the top 18% of full-backs in Europe, via FBref.

For Villa, the Scotsman could be the perfect acquisition to succeed Digne, who after a year and a half could move on to pastures new away from the Premier League.

Having been lauded as “outstanding” by journalist Chris Wheatley, Tierney could excel the performances of the Frenchman as suggested by their respective averages in the 2022/23 campaign in the league.

As per FBref, the Arsenal man came out on top in areas relating to both defensive and offensive duties, averaging 2.26 tackles and 2.83 progressive carries per 90 to Digne’s 1.74 progressive carries and 1.80 tackles for Villa.

Also hailed as “the best overlapping centre-back in the world” by Scotland national team manager Steve Clarke for his international contribution, Tierney’s versatility in defence and attacking prowess makes him a highly-regarded player.

For Villa, the talent of the 26-year-old – who was originally signed by Emery in north London – could be captured at the perfect time for both club and player, as he looks for a new venture and the Midlands side seek a new left-back.