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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has drawn parallels between Jack Grealish’s situation at his old club and Harry Kane’s at Tottenham.

Kane could be heading for the exit door at Tottenham, with Sky Sports reporting that the 27-year-old striker has asked to leave the club. This comes shortly after Kane made it clear that he wants to “win team trophies” and not just individual honours.

Meanwhile, Grealish also continues to be linked with a move away from his current employers. According to The Telegraph, he is a summer target for Premier League champions Manchester City.

And Hendrie believes, like Kane, the desire to win trophies could force him to seek a move elsewhere.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the attacking midfielder’s future, the ex-Villa player said:

“He’s been a great servant so far for the club. You know, he’s proved that he loves the club, but sometimes it’s not, and this is where fans sometimes need to understand, it’s not all about having the money.

“The loyalties are obviously massive there; it’d be nothing to do with money. It’s a bit like the Harry Kane situation. Players who have got top quality and are labelled as one of the top players want to win trophies – that’s what you play football for.”

If Grealish does have that desire to win trophies, then the Etihad looks to be the perfect home for the 25-year-old as Manchester City continue to sweep up an array of domestic honours.

Aston Villa look set to move on two longstanding scouts in a major reshuffle behind the scenes, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa’s major spending plans

Villa spent over £90m during the current campaign on five permanent transfers, and it looks as if another spending spree is on the way at Villa Park.

Owners Wes Edens and Naseef Sawiris have pumped around £400m into the club since taking over in 2018, and according to Football Insider back in March, they will spend big this summer in a bid to keep hold of club captain Jack Grealish.

The Latest: Friday meeting planned

According to Football Insider, Mick Brown and Alan Wood are set to leave the club.

A Villa source revealed that both Brown and Wood have been told to attend a meeting at the club’s Bodymoor Heath training headquarters on Friday.

The report described the likely parting ways of Brown and Wood as a surprise, with the pair working on potential signings under sporting director Johan Lange.

The Verdict: A bold move

It’s safe to say that Villa’s spending during the 2020/21 campaign has been a lot better than their 2019/20 business.

The likes of Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and Emiliano Martinez have been revelations under Dean Smith, although the loan signing of Ross Barkley hasn’t really worked out.

However, a number of the arrivals in the 19/20 season have either been injured for large parts of their stay or struggled on the pitch – Wesley Moraes, Tom Heaton, Mbwana Samatta, Bjorn Engels and Jota spring to mind.

It seems as if Villa have their heart set on an off-field revamp, though, which could have real significance to Lange going forward.

In other news: Villa keen on Premier League international, many fans are delighted, find out more here. 

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder believes that RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer would be an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and has told Football FanCast that he could be a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen.

Spurs sold Eriksen to Inter Milan in January of last season, banking £16.9m as his contract ran down, but they have yet to truly replace the Denmark international.

The signings of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have helped add some guile and hard-running to the midfield but neither of the players are genuine playmakers, as Eriksen was.

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move to sign Sabitzer from RB Leipzig, with the player capable of playing in a wide variety of roles, and Bild, via Sport Witness, report that he’d cost them €42m (£35m).

This season, he has scored seven goals and laid on three assists in 24 appearances in the Bundesliga and Pinder, who is the editor of Get German Football News, thinks he would be a worthy successor to Eriksen.

Indeed, he believes that, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg already in the midfield, he could form an excellent partnership with the Denmark international.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Pinder said: “I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Christian Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield.

“During his time at Leipzig, Sabitzer played much further forward but this season he’s played deeper, been creating from deep but with that, he’s very versatile, whether it’s central midfield, attacking midfield, winger, he’s even played striker this season, so I think for Spurs he’d be an excellent signing.

“I think he’d slot straight into that starting XI, and alongside players like Hojbjerg I think that partnership could be a decent pairing in the middle.”

In total, Sabitzer has scored 51 goals and laid on 41 assists in 222 appearances.

Writing on Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has dropped a major behind-the-scenes claim on the European Super League aftermath involving Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

Spurs were one of the big six Premier League clubs who signed up to be part of a closed breakaway division alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Sky journalist drops major Levy claim

The plans attracted plenty of backlash and criticism from numerous supporters, as well as popular members of the media, and the protests eventually resulted in all English clubs backing out of the controversial plans.

Solhekol has been covering the aftermath extensively, and he has now dropped a major behind-the-scenes claim involving Levy.

The journalist said that there is a ‘growing feeling’ among the other 14 Premier League clubs that ‘heads must roll’, and they are ‘particularly unhappy’ with the behaviour of Levy as well as Bruce Buck, Ferran Soriano and Ed Woodward.

“Growing feeling among 14 clubs that heads must roll at 6 breakaway clubs,” explained Solhekol on social media.

“14 are particularly unhappy with behaviour of Buck, Soriano, Levy & Woodward. One exec says: ‘Stories saying Ed Woodward resigned because he was against the ESL are laughable. He was involved from day one’.”

Transfer Tavern take

Levy is already under mounting pressure from many Lilywhites fans, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust recently calling for him and the board to resign.

Facing a fight on two fronts, another worry for the chairman in the aftermath of Spurs’ involvement in the ESL could be the pressure of disgruntled executives from the other 14 Premier League clubs.

Indeed, this claim that they are ‘particularly unhappy’ with the Spurs chief among others potentially indicates an even more worrying backlash for Levy. Amid the fan protests as well, you could argue his future as Tottenham chief looks more shaky than ever.

In other news: Tottenham manager target would bring superstar to Spurs, find out more here.

Celtic are reportedly keen on the idea of signing up to a British Super League, according to The Sun.

They suggest that the Hoops and rivals Rangers are wanted as part of a British revamp, with plans set to be backed by FIFA, UEFA and the UK Government, a far cry from the backlash the European Super League proposal received from such bodies.

The report claims that Celtic ‘would jump at the chance’ to be involved, with a possible inclusion potentially leading to an increase in interest regarding the Hoops from fans, sponsors and broadcasters.

This comes days after the collapse of the proposed European Super League, which saw six English sides sign up to and then withdraw from the new competition in a matter of days.

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic owner Dermot Desmond hinted over the last 12 months that he’d be open to the idea of a British Premier League, citing Cardiff City and Swansea City’s current inclusion in the English pyramid – the main advantage for the Hoops potentially joining a British Super League would of course be financial.

Celtic picked up £3.35m when they won the Scottish Premiership in the 2019/20 season, whereas Norwich City took a total of £96.5m for finishing bottom in the Premier League the same year.

However, on the pitch, Celtic’s chances of regularly winning trophies and qualifying for Europe, as they do now in Scotland, could be affected.

It’s an interesting proposition, but like with the ESL, we can’t see anything materialising in the near future.

In other news: Fresh Celtic director of football candidate emerges, find out who it is here. 

Carlo Ancelotti should urge Everton to make a move to sign Andrea Belotti in the summer transfer window, amid claims the striker is considering his future with Serie A side Torino.

What’s the word?

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Belotti is refusing to sign a new contract at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium despite the efforts of President Urbano Cairo.

The 27-year-old is set to enter the final year of his current £68,000-per-week deal in June, but is beginning to show an interest in a move away after six seasons with Il Toro.

Everton were credited with an interest in Belotti earlier this month by Corriere Granata, who claimed the forward also had suitors in Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United plus at least five sides in Italy and a handful from Germany and Spain.

Corriere Dello Sport anticipate AS Roma and AC Milan to make efforts to sign Belotti in the off-season should he leave Torino, where he is the captain of Davide Nicola’s side and has 11 goals and six assists in 26 Serie A appearances this term.

It is noted that Belotti would consider a move to the Stadio Olimpico as he is fascinated by the city of Rome and the work of CEO Tiago Pinto in rejuvenating Paulo Fonseca’s squad, despite the Giallorossi not being expected to have Champions League football next season.

The 32-cap Italy striker is also understood to have a number of friends in the Roma dressing room from the national side, but Pinto will not pursue a deal should Milan present an offer worth €25m (£21.5m) as predicted.

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Pinto will only pursue Belotti under certain conditions, while doubt also remains in the future of Fonseca and potential successors Maurizio Sarri, Julian Nagelsmann or Sergio Conceicao may not be as fond of a move for Belotti as the Portuguese.

Should Everton sign Torino’s Belotti?

Any hesitancy from Roma in pursuing a deal for Belotti should be seen as a huge boost for Everton and Ancelotti, as the Goodison Park natives are likely to be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer and the Italian represents an ideal candidate to target.

The Toffees are not expected to retain Joshua King beyond the short-term contract he signed upon his arrival in the winter transfer market, while claims have arisen that offers will be considered for Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean.

Ancelotti would not be expected to regret letting King – plus Tosun or Kean – leave in the summer if the Italian has Belotti at his disposal, especially if he is available for around a quarter of his €100m release clause (£86.5m) for foreign sides.

Torino boss Nicola lauds Belotti for being a “unique” forward and appreciates the UC AlbinoLeffe product for his “technical qualities but also for his spirit”, which have seen him score 103 goals and provide 25 assists in 219 career Il Toro appearances in all competitions.

Veteran Torino midfielder Tomas Rincon also praises Belotti for his drive and work in harrying opponents, as the 5 ft 11 forward “has given us so much joy with his goals”.

And, former England number one Joe Hart dubbed the forward as “special” and with an “instinct for goals”, while Torino president, Urbano Cairo, hailed him as a “real captain”.

Ancelotti should implore Everton to sign the £36m-rated Belotti in the summer when he waves goodbye to King, and hire a true challenger who can push Dominic Calvert-Lewin to perform at his best and help sustain the Toffees’ European qualifying challenge.

AND in other news, Everton have eyes on a “very good” £3.5m-rated forward available on a free transfer…

Charlie Austin has described Patrick Bamford’s omission from the England squad as “football snobbery”, likening it to his own experiences. The Athletic’s Phil Hay had previously claimed the striker will have been ‘extremely disappointed’.

Bamford is enjoying a superb season for Leeds United, arguably the star man for the Whites.

The 27-year-old has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League appearances in 2020/21 to date, also chipping in with six assists for good measure.

It was hoped that Bamford’s excellent form would see him earn an England call-up for the current internationals taking place, but Gareth Southgate opted not to pick him.

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Austin sticks up for Bamford

It seemed a harsh decision, considering the striker’s influence at Elland Road, and Austin was one of those left frustrated by it.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the on-loan QPR marksman drew parallels with his own experiences at international level, claiming there is a bias towards the bigger clubs:

“I think that goes against a lot of people.

“That’s going against Patrick Bamford right now, because that’s football snobbery. It’s just the way it is. Sometimes faces don’t fit.”

Transfer Tavern take

You have to wonder if Bamford will ever get picked if he can’t earn a call-up currently, considering he is one of the league’s most in-form attacking players.

Ollie Watkins is having a good season in his own right, but for him to be picked ahead of the Leeds man – he has 10 goals and three assists in comparison – doesn’t make a huge amount of sense.

In other news, one Leeds player is believed to be attracting significant interest from other clubs. Find out who it is here.

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has told Football FanCast that the club are far too reliant on Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal international has become a key component of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon.

Throughout the campaign, Fernandes has scored 23 goals and registered 13 assists in 45 games.

Sixteen of those goals, and 10 of the assists, have come in the Premier League, with United attempting to qualify for the Champions League between now and the end of the season.

Only Marcus Rashford has hit double figures in terms of goals along with Fernandes, hitting 18 in all competitions.

Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, and Edinson Cavani all have seven goals and Gillespie has urged United to splash the cash in a bid to relieve the burden on the Portuguese.

He has told the club to spend on a striker who can hit the back of the net regularly, or risk consistently relying on Fernandes again next season.

Speaking to FFC, he said: “They do need to go out and spend, and spend big on somebody who is going to get them a lot of goals each season.

“For me, they just rely on Fernandes too much, and there is a bit of a lull with his performances but he is the one that, effectively, you look to every game. When they need something to happen, he is the one who is going to provide it.”

United are currently second in the Premier League table but they are eight points clear of fourth-placed West Ham United; they are also 14 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Steven Gerrard was handed a huge boost at Rangers over the weekend as Steven Davis agreed a one-year extension to his contract to ensure that he will remain at Ibrox next season.

The former Southampton man has been a hugely important player for Rangers this season as they earned their 55th league title, so it is a big boost that the 36-year-old will be available for Gerrard for the next campaign.

Davis has made 30 appearances in the top-flight, in which he has averaged an impressive 6.99 rating, which emphasises that he remains a vital part of the Rangers midfield despite his age.

After signing the new deal, Gerrard was full of praise for the Northern Ireland international, saying:

“Steven embodies professionalism and continues to set the standards required to be a Rangers player. He has been instrumental this year, playing a key role in our league success.

“He is a role model to his teammates and continues to strive to be a better version of himself. I am very pleased to have a player with Premier League and international experience on board as we look towards next season.”

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The £900k-rated midfielder’s experience could be vital next year as the Gers make their return to the Champions League, whilst they will also obviously be looking to retain the title they have so impressively won this season.

Earlier in the campaign, Gerrard dubbed Davis a “wonderful footballer”, so he clearly holds him in high regard and will be delighted that he opted to extend his stay with Rangers further, considering his deal was set to expire this summer, before the extension.

Davis has been an integral member of Gerrard’s squad since returning for his second spell, originally on loan in 2019, and has now made 302 appearances for the club, in which he has impressively contributed 23 goals and 67 assists.

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The 36-year-old is undoubtedly a leader on and off the pitch for Rangers, so it is a huge boost that they have managed to secure his services for what promises to be an exciting 2021/22 campaign.

And, in other news… Rangers could sign their ideal Defoe heir in £6.3m-rated beast

In a recent interview, Kevin Phillips stated his belief that on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp should leave Spurs once again this summer.

So far this season, Skipp has highly impressed across his 33 Championship appearances on loan at table-toppers Norwich City, with the 20-year-old averaging of one interception, two tackles, 0.9 clearances and 48.7 accurate passes per match, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.02 – ranking him as Daniel Farke’s 10th-best performer in the second tier.

However, despite the recent revelation that Jose Mourinho would not be allowing the £24,000 per week midfielder to leave the club once again this summer, Phillips told Football Insider that a move back to Carrow Road would hugely benefit both Skipp and Tottenham.

He said: “I would send him back to Norwich next season. Is he going to get into that Tottenham side? You have got players like Harry Winks not playing regular football. Mourinho has lots to choose from in that area.

“If I was Skipp I would not be thinking about Tottenham next season. I would make sure Norwich gain promotion and then push to rejoin them on loan again next season. He will be playing week in, week out at Norwich. At Tottenham, even the experienced players get rotated.

“I am not saying he is not good enough, far from it, but I think for his development another season at Norwich would be best. He should learn his trade while playing week in, week out.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Indeed, as Phillips points out, Mourinho does has a number of options to choose from in the middle of the park, with the likes of Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli all being candidates for the central midfield position – which could lead to Skipp’s playing time at Spurs being limited.

Also, should Norwich go on to secure promotion to the top flight this season, allowing the 20-year-old to return to the Canaries this summer would, in theory, allow the midfielder to continue developing in familiar surroundings, while also playing at Premier League level.

As such, it would appear as if the logic behind Phillips’ suggestion is sound. However, whether Mourinho holds the same point of view is another question altogether.

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a warning over Harry Kane – find out more here!